Markets & Finance

Bank7 Corp. signed a definitive merger agreement on September 16, 2026, to acquire 100% of Century Financial Services Corporation for $70 million in cash plus 1,232,657 Bank7 shares, producing an implied transaction value of approximately $137.3 million based on Bank7's 10-day average share price. The deal would add Century's eight New Mexico branches and $1.36 billion in assets to Bank7's portfolio, with management projecting over 25% EPS accretion and a pro forma asset base of approximately $3.3 billion. Closing remains contingent on Century shareholder approval, federal regulatory clearance, and court approval tied to an existing federal receivership, with a fallback stock-purchase agreement covering roughly 71% of Century at a $91 million gross price still in effect if the merger fails.

The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously on September 16 to raise the federal funds target range by 25 basis points to 3.75–4.00 percent, with 16 of 18 participants projecting at least one additional increase before year-end. The 10-year Treasury par yield reached 5.01 percent on the same day before falling 7 basis points the following session, though available evidence does not establish a causal link between the rate decision and that yield movement. Chair Kevin Warsh declined to pre-commit to future actions, and the median SEP projection holds the funds rate at 4.1 percent through both 2026 and 2027.

Freddie Mac's weekly survey recorded the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 6.95% for the period ending September 17, up from 6.76% the prior week, adding roughly $44 per month to the principal-and-interest payment on a loan sized to the August median home price. The increase coincided with a Federal Reserve rate hike on September 16, though the survey's Thursday-to-Wednesday averaging window and a simultaneous seven-basis-point drop in the 10-year Treasury yield mean the data do not establish a direct causal link. The piece also details how Freddie Mac constructs its survey, including its shift to application-submission data and the discontinuation of reported discount points.

UK IT reseller Softcat has agreed to acquire Dallas-based GDT from H.I.G. Capital for $1.05 billion, funding the deal through £350 million in new equity, £550 million in debt facilities, and £100 million of existing cash. GDT serves around 700 enterprise customers and is projected to generate approximately $240 million in gross profit and $80 million in EBITDA for the twelve months ending December 2026. Softcat expects the deal to add high-single-digit to low-double-digit underlying EPS accretion in its first full fiscal year, with completion targeted by the end of Q1 2027 pending U.S. antitrust and CFIUS clearances.

Haymaker Acquisition Corp. V priced 25 million units at $10.00 each on September 16, 2026, raising $250 million gross to fund an acquisition targeting industrial and consumer sectors, with NYSE trading expected under symbol HYACU. A discrepancy between the SEC prospectus and the pricing release leaves the warrant fraction per unit unresolved at one-third versus one-fourth, pending the final prospectus filing. The offering marks the fifth SPAC vehicle for the Haymaker team, which has previously completed combinations with OneSpaWorld, ARKO Corp., biote Corp., and Suncrete.

The Beauty Tech Group lifted its FY2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance to at least £48.5 million, up from £45 million, after reporting H1 revenue of £79.7 million — a 44.3% year-on-year increase — and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 26.7%. The company also announced plans for a £20 million share buyback, funded from its £52 million net cash position and £42.5 million in newly created distributable reserves, though the programme had not commenced as of the results announcement. Readers will find a precise account of the guidance upgrade timeline, the mechanics of the buyback structure, and the capital allocation priorities management has set out.