$4.9 Trillion in Deals, A Self-Driving Bet and An Airline Is On Fire 🔥

Money Masters' Market Movers Week 9

February 25, 2026

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Dear Money Master,

The corporate world just had its biggest shopping year on record. 🛒 $4.9 trillion in mergers and acquisitions changed hands in 2025 and the deals keep coming. But here is the twist: the money to fund them is getting scarce, and that is changing who wins and who gets left behind.

Meanwhile, a quiet British startup just became one of Europe's most valuable AI companies after landing Nvidia, Microsoft and Uber as investors in a $1.2B funding round. 🤖 And Etihad Airways is proving that when airlines get their fundamentals right, profits can nearly double. ✈️ Let's break it all down.

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📰 Your Daily Financial Digest - February 25th, 2026

🌍 Finance:

Deal-Making Just Hit a $4.9 Trillion Record. Here's What That Actually Means. 💰 READ MORE

Global M&A activity surged nearly 40% in 2025, hitting a record $4.9 trillion in total deal value, surpassing the previous all-time high set in 2021. Mega-deals over $5 billion drove 73% of the increase, and 80% of M&A executives expect deal pace to continue into 2026.

Here is the key concept: mergers and acquisitions is when companies buy or combine with other companies. Think of it like corporate chess. You acquire capabilities, customers or market share instead of building them from scratch. When interest rates fall, borrowing gets cheaper and suddenly the boardroom starts making calls.

But here is the catch. The proportion of capital allocated to M&A hit a 30-year low in 2025. Companies are competing for the same dollars across buybacks, dividends, AI spending and R&D. Only the clearest and most strategic deals are getting funded. The companies making bold, disciplined acquisitions today could define their industries for the next decade.

💻 Technology:

Nvidia, Microsoft and Uber Just Backed a Self-Driving Startup You've Never Heard Of. 🚗 READ MORE

UK-based autonomous driving company Wayve just closed a $1.2 billion Series D funding round, pushing its valuation to $8.6 billion. Investors include Nvidia, Microsoft, Uber, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Stellantis. The company plans to launch robotaxi trials in London later this year, with a global rollout to over 10 markets to follow.

Here is the concept worth understanding: startup funding rounds. When a private company needs capital to grow, it sells ownership stakes in exchange for cash. The cas hgoes directly into the business to fund operations, hire talent, and fund expansions. In return investors, receive shares in the company, betting it will be worth far more down the road. These rounds are labeled Series A, B, C, D and so on. A Series D like Wayve's is late-stage. This is not a bet on an idea. It is a bet on a company with real partnerships, working technology and a clear path to deployment.

When Nvidia and Microsoft write a check at this stage, they are signaling they believe this technology will become foundational infrastructure. Waymo just opened robotaxi service in four U.S. cities. The race for who builds the autonomy layer for the world's vehicles is just getting started.

💹Earnings:

Etihad's Profits Nearly Doubled. One Number Explains Why. ✈️ READ MORE

Etihad Airways reported a 50% jump in net profit to $698 million for 2025. Passenger numbers rose 21% to 22.4 million and the airline added 29 new aircraft to its fleet. The CEO pointed to strong premium demand and load factors hitting 88%, with many days now touching 90%.

The concept to know here is load factor. It measures what percentage of available seats an airline actually fills. Airlines have mostly fixed costs. The plane flies whether it is half empty or completely full. So filling more seats is almost pure profit. This is called operating leverage, where costs stay flat but each additional unit of revenue drops straight to the bottom line.

Investors follow load factors the same way they watch same-store sales for retailers. When both passengers and load factor rise together, that is a genuinely healthy airline.

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The Lithium Boom is Heating Up

Thanks to growing demand, lithium stock prices grew 2X+ from June 2025 to January 2026. $ALB climbed as high as 227%. $LAC hit 151%. $SQM, 159%.

This $1B unicorn’s patented technology can recover 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s earned investment from leaders like General Motors.

Now they’re preparing for commercial production just as experts project 5X demand growth by 2040. They’ve announced what could be one of the US’ largest lithium production facilities and have rights to approximately 150,000 lithium-rich acres across North and South America.

Unlike public stocks, you can buy private EnergyX shares alongside 40,000+ other investors. Invest for $11/share by the 2/26 deadline.

This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energyx.com. Under Regulation A, a company may change its share price by up to 20% without requalifying the offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

To your financial empowerment, The Money Masters Team

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DISCLAIMER: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for any losses incurred as a result of actions taken based on the information provided. Always conduct your own research or consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.