Daily Update — January 27, 2026
Canopy's Pongamia Plantation; UAE's Payment Token Services Regulation; and Record Private Equity Megadeals in 2025
Today is Tuesday, January 27, 2026, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
INTERVIEW: Canopy plants largest pongamia acreage, rooting steady SAF takeoff
Canopy Energies is developing one of the world’s largest pongamia plantations in Madagascar, positioning the tree-based oilseed as a complement to used cooking oil. The latter dominates the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathway, but it faces structural supply constraints.
In an interview, Canopy Energies Managing Director Guillaume Fouchères told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, that pongamia oil could become a scalable and sustainable option for aviation fuel by the end of the decade if plantation economics, regulatory approvals and market demand align. The company plans to reach full commercial production of about 75,000 metric tons of pongamia oil annually by 2035.
Digital Assets
Credit FAQ: What Does The UAE's Stablecoin Regulation Mean For Local Banks?
Stablecoin adoption and tokenization are expected to accelerate globally in 2026, driven by supportive regulation, notably in the US. The United Arab Emirates is contributing to this movement with its Payment Token Services Regulation, which governs the issuance, conversion, custody and transfer of stablecoins within the country.
Since the regulation became effective in August 2024, several dirham-backed stablecoins have or are expected to be launched, indicating growing adoption and integration into the national payment system. S&P Global Ratings views the regulation as more enabling than disruptive for banks, allowing them to participate in stablecoin innovation while managing potential funding risks.
Private Markets
Private equity megadeals rang up record transaction value in 2025
Private equity megadeals reached a record $311.08 billion in 2025, boosted by the pending $55.19 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium — the largest deal of the year. In total, 22 private equity acquisitions worth at least $5 billion were announced, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
A major factor driving these larger deals is the concentration of capital in the biggest private equity funds, according to Don Zambarano, US private equity sector leader at KPMG. Institutional investors are consolidating relationships and channeling more money to leading alternative asset managers that offer diverse investment strategies and coinvestment opportunities. Since making many small investments is inefficient, managers of supersize funds are pursuing large-scale deals to deploy their capital effectively.
HarbourVest Partners Managing Director Scott Voss expects that current records will soon be broken, with multiple $50 billion buyouts likely in the future.
In case you missed it
- The capital offerings of publicly traded Canadian real estate investment trusts rose 23% year over year to C$6.23 billion in 2025, with most of the proceeds coming from debt issuances.
- Nigeria's BUA Cement signed a $240 million agreement with China's CBMI Construction to build a cement production line in Sokoto, Nigeria, that will raise the company’s total annual capacity by 3 million metric tons to 20 million mt.
- Despite a significant influx of newbuilds, global dirty and clean tanker freight rates are expected to remain firm in 2026, supported by fleet consolidation and rising sanctions-compliant trade.
Upcoming events
- Nordics Conference 2026 | January 29 (Stockholm)
- Outlook & Trends for European Insurers – 2026 and Beyond | February 2 (Webinar)
- London Energy Forum | February 9 (London)