{"id":65921,"date":"2026-08-04T03:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T07:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/prologis-strikes-18-8-billion-deal-for-segro-copper-surges-toward-14000\/65921\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T03:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T07:08:16","slug":"prologis-strikes-18-8-billion-deal-for-segro-copper-surges-toward-14000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/prologis-strikes-18-8-billion-deal-for-segro-copper-surges-toward-14000\/65921\/","title":{"rendered":"Prologis Strikes $18.8 Billion Deal for Segro; Copper Surges Toward $14,000"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Prologis (<a href=\"\/stock\/PLD\">PLD<\/a>)<\/strong> has reached an agreement to acquire U.K. rival <strong>Segro (<a href=\"\/stock\/SGRO\">SGRO<\/a>)<\/strong> for approximately <strong>$18.8 billion<\/strong>, creating a global logistics powerhouse with <strong>$269 billion<\/strong> in assets under management.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Copper prices<\/strong> surged toward <strong>$14,000 a ton<\/strong> in London as traders front-run potential U.S. import tariffs from the Trump administration, leading to record-breaking metal inflows into American ports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>SoftBank (<a href=\"\/stock\/9984\">9984<\/a>)<\/strong> reported Q1 2026 operating income of <strong>302.30 billion yen<\/strong>, comfortably beating analyst estimates of 275.54 billion yen while maintaining its full-year profit outlook.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Bank of Korea<\/strong> signaled a hawkish stance in its latest minutes, with policymakers suggesting further rate hikes beyond the recent move to <strong>2.75%<\/strong> may be necessary to combat persistent core inflation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>)<\/strong> reported a massive jump in quarterly profits to <strong>$5.73 billion<\/strong>, with CEO Meg O&#39;Neill announcing a strategic shift to boost <strong>jet fuel and diesel<\/strong> output amid global supply constraints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Global M&amp;A and Corporate Earnings<\/h2>\n<p>The industrial real estate sector saw a landmark consolidation as <strong>Prologis (<a href=\"\/stock\/PLD\">PLD<\/a>)<\/strong> finalized a <strong>$18.8 billion<\/strong> deal for <strong>Segro (<a href=\"\/stock\/SGRO\">SGRO<\/a>)<\/strong>. The acquisition, which includes a <strong>\u00a33.5 billion<\/strong> cash component, will expand Prologis&#39; European footprint by <strong>47%<\/strong> and includes a commitment for a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.<\/p>\n<p>In the technology sector, <strong>SoftBank Group (<a href=\"\/stock\/9984\">9984<\/a>)<\/strong> delivered a strong first-quarter performance for fiscal year 2026. The company posted an operating income of <strong>302.30 billion yen<\/strong>, surpassing expectations, and reaffirmed its full-year net income target of <strong>560 billion yen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Automotive giant <strong>Volvo Cars (<a href=\"\/stock\/VOLVB\">VOLVB<\/a>)<\/strong> faced headwinds, reporting a <strong>4% year-over-year sales drop<\/strong> for the May-July period. The company cited &quot;considerable weakening&quot; in the Chinese market and global uncertainty, leading it to abandon its previous full-year volume growth targets despite a recovery in U.S. and European demand.<\/p>\n<h2>Commodities and Energy Markets<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Copper<\/strong> reached a two-month high, approaching the <strong>$14,000 per ton<\/strong> mark in London. The rally is driven by massive stockpiling in the U.S., where over <strong>200,000 metric tons<\/strong> of the metal arrived in July alone\u2014the highest monthly inflow in 12 years\u2014as traders anticipate new refined copper tariffs from President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BP (<a href=\"\/stock\/BP\">BP<\/a>)<\/strong> saw its quarterly profits more than double to <strong>$5.73 billion<\/strong> due to elevated energy prices stemming from Middle East tensions. CEO Meg O&#39;Neill stated the company is prioritizing <strong>diesel and jet fuel<\/strong> production, noting that these supplies remain significantly more constrained than gasoline in the current market.<\/p>\n<h2>Central Banks and Macroeconomic Data<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Bank of Korea (BOK)<\/strong> remains in a tightening cycle after raising its base rate to <strong>2.75%<\/strong>. Minutes from the latest meeting show members favor inflation as the primary factor for future decisions, warning that &quot;further action may be needed&quot; as core inflation remains at a 2.5-year high of <strong>2.6%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>European fiscal data revealed ongoing challenges, with the <strong>French Budget Balance<\/strong> showing a <strong>\u20ac106.77 billion deficit<\/strong> at the end of June. Meanwhile, <strong>Spain&#39;s<\/strong> labor market showed signs of cooling as unemployment rose by <strong>19.5K<\/strong> in July, a sharp reversal from the previous month&#39;s contraction of 28.7K.<\/p>\n<p>In the Asia-Pacific region, markets reacted positively to the earnings season and stable policy signals. The <strong>Kospi<\/strong> rallied <strong>1.6%<\/strong> at the close in Seoul, while the <strong>S&amp;P\/ASX 200<\/strong> in Australia gained <strong>1.4%<\/strong> to end at <strong>9,145.80<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Prologis (PLD) has reached an agreement to acquire U.K. rival Segro (SGRO) for approximately $18.8 billion, creating a 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