Welcome to The Daily Intel, a roundup of exclusive news and analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence, curated by our journalists.

Editor's Pick

Blank-check IPO proceeds hit new record in '19 as Wall Street buys in

Once the "horrible step child" of capital-raising vehicles, special-purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, completed 59 IPOs last year, the most in more than a decade, representing 25% of all public-market debuts. They raised more than $12 billion by going to market with no business operations beyond a plan to acquire a private company. The targets of such companies used to be companies that had no other route to market, but they are now snapping up entities that could IPO themselves. For example, Goldman Sachs-backed GS Acquisition Holdings Corp. agreed in late 2019 to acquire Vertiv Group Corp. for approximately $5.3 billion.

Consumer

Amazon could face antitrust suit in 2020, but asset breakup unlikely

If regulators find evidence that Amazon engaged in anti-competitive practices and file a federal complaint, the company could face enforcement actions ranging from new regulations to an order to split up assets.

Energy and Utilities

Oil, gas purchases a cornerstone to US-China trade deal

If Chinese consumers and U.S. oil and gas producers can pull it off, China will be buying lots more U.S. oil and gas this year and next, according to the terms of the "phase one" trade agreement the two countries signed Jan. 15.

Wind, solar total more than half of new US capacity added in 2019

A third of the 2019 additions are powered by wind and 19% by solar, S&P Global Market Intelligence data shows. The share of new capacity fueled by natural gas declined to 46% in 2019, compared to 75% in 2018.

Financials

Dutch banks seek solutions to 'much more violent' spate of ATM bomb attacks

The number of ATM robberies using explosives spiked in 2019, forcing lenders to shut down cashpoints and stop overnight withdrawals.

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