Markets & Finance

A widely cited report of record U.S. investment-grade bond fund outflows for the week ended July 22 is under active review after JPMorgan flagged a potential data error to LSEG Lipper. Neither the size of the suspected discrepancy nor a resolution timeline has been made public, leaving the 7.1 billion figure unconfirmed. Available market data show rising Treasury yields but stable credit spreads, meaning the underlying conditions do not independently validate a record-setting withdrawal.

Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery agreed July 24 to halt their merger until five days after a court ruling on the merits or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first — meaning the pause could end earlier than widely reported. The daily delay cost falls almost entirely on Paramount, which owes WBD shareholders roughly 7.3 million dollars per day under the deal's ticking-fee structure, totaling an estimated 1.77 billion dollars if closing slips to June 2027. Twelve state attorneys general brought the antitrust case in the Northern District of California, alleging the combination would raise the HHI by 359 points in wide-release theatrical distribution; no trial date had been set as of July 24.

HCA Healthcare confirmed Q2 2026 revenue of $20.23 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $4.03 billion, with preliminary figures holding firm through final audit. The quarter's defining pressure was a near one-for-one migration of patients from exchange insurance coverage to uninsured status after enhanced premium tax credits expired, a shift HCA quantified at roughly $400 million in lost adjusted EBITDA. The company held its reduced full-year guidance, now projecting $77 billion to $79.5 billion in revenue, with the exchange-related headwind now estimated at $1.0 billion to $1.2 billion for the full year.