SpaceX logo is seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025.
Image: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Wake up to the shifts shaping the future.
From boardroom shakeups and billion-dollar bets to the latest tech breakthroughs rewriting the rules, The Company Brief is your front-row seat to the stories moving markets and mindsets.
We cut through the noise so you can stay ahead of the curve, one bold business move at a time.
Danaher closes in on nearly $10 billion deal for Masimo
Life sciences firm Danaher is closing in on a nearly $10 billion deal to acquire pulse oximeter maker Masimo, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing sources. Danaher and Masimo did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Masimo, which has been in a long legal battle with iPhone maker Apple over patents, has a market capitalisation of about $7 billion, while Danaher is valued at over $150 billion, according to Reuters calculations. A federal jury in California in November ruled that Apple owed Masimo $634 million for infringing a patent covering blood-oxygen reading technology. A deal with Masimo would be Danaher's first major acquisition since its $5.7 billion purchase of protein consumables manufacturer Abcam in 2023.
Uber and Bolt risk shutting down in South Africa over licence chaos
Popular e-hailing platforms, including Uber and Bolt could soon find themselves on the wrong side of the law as the clock runs out on new government regulations. It was previously reported that the government has introduced the National Land Transport Amendment Act, requiring all e-hailing platforms, including Uber and Bolt, to register with authorities. The new regulations mandate that operators display proper vehicle branding, install panic buttons, and secure licenses for both drivers and platforms. The new rules were introduced to regulate the fast-growing e-hailing industry, improve safety for passengers and drivers, and address the long-standing tensions between e-hailing services and the traditional taxi industry. The rules came into effect in September 2025. Last year, the government allowed a 180-day compliance period for drivers to apply for licenses and meet the new requirements. Last year, National Spokesperson Collen Msibi said that the Department was committed to ensuring a fair and regulated environment for all public transport operators.
Asia markets cautious ahead of US-Iran nuclear talks
Asian financial markets struck a cautious tone on Tuesday in holiday-thinned trading, as oil prices were mixed ahead of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva due to begin later in the day. Markets in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea were closed on Tuesday for Lunar New Year holidays. U.S. markets were shut on Monday for Presidents' Day. Japan's Nikkei was down 0.9% while in Australia, the S&P/ASX200 was 0.24% higher. Ten-year Treasury yields slipped 2.5 basis points to 4.029% on Tuesday. In Japan, the 20-year JGB yield fell 5.5 basis points to 3.025%. The 30-year yield slipped 6 basis points to 3.025%. Yields move inversely to prices. A 5-year bond auction held earlier in the day saw a weak outcome, which meant the 5-year JGB yield slipped 4.5 basis points to 1.625%. Nasdaq futures were down 0.8%, and S&P 500 futures were off 0.4%. The dollar index, a measure of the U.S. currency against major rivals, was mostly steady at 97.12, after a small gain of 0.2% overnight. Japan's weakening economy remained in focus on Tuesday, one day after much softer-than-expected GDP numbers.
SpaceX to compete in Pentagon contest for autonomous drone tech
Elon Musk's SpaceX and its wholly-owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon's defence innovation unit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Texas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defence contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. It occurred ahead of SpaceX's planned initial public offering this year. Musk's companies are reportedly among a select few chosen to participate in the $100 million prize challenge initiated in January, according to the Bloomberg report.