TLDR

MARKET RECAP → Stocks closed Monday essentially unchanged as investors looked ahead to major retail earnings and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s upcoming remarks at the Jackson Hole summit.

TRUMP-HOSTED UKRAINE MEETING SPARKED DIPLOMATIC TIGHTROPE→ ⚖️ Trump pressed Ukraine to drop NATO and Crimea ambitions while hinting Putin might free prisoners, leaving Zelensky balancing allies’ demands for real security against a peace plan that looked a lot like Moscow’s wish list.

SOHO HOUSE GOES PRIVATE → 📉 Soho House ditched Wall Street in a $2.7B deal with MCR Hotels, spiking shares and adding Ashton Kutcher to the board—because nothing says “exclusive club turnaround” like celebrity stardust and hybrid financing.

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WORLD NEWS

Trump-hosted Ukraine Meeting Sparked Diplomatic Tightrope

🤝 A high-stakes summit unfolded at the White House where President Trump, Ukrainian President Zelensky, and several European leaders rallied in support of Ukraine. As Zelensky wooed allies for post-war security guarantees, Trump asserted that a peace deal didn’t hinge on a ceasefire, signaling a shift toward Russia’s preferences.

⚖️ Trump openly urged Ukraine to let go of NATO ambitions and its claim to Crimea before meaningful peace negotiations could begin—an uncomfortable compromise that raised alarm about rewarding Russian aggression.

🔓 In an olive‑branch move, Trump expressed optimism that Putin would imminently release over 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners. Meanwhile, European leaders stood firm in demanding binding security guarantees and pushing for a ceasefire before any concessionary deal.

BUSINESS

Soho House Goes Private

⛽ Soho House ended its turbulent Wall Street stint with a $2.7B take-private deal led by MCR Hotels. Shareholders got $9 per share—a 17.8% premium—and the stock spiked over 15% on the news. The move came less than three years after its IPO, which saw nearly half its value vanish despite steady membership growth.

🎭 Hollywood met hospitality as Ashton Kutcher joined the new board, while Neil Thomson replaced Thomas Allen as CFO. But star power won’t fix everything—analysts noted that rapid expansion and soft consumer spending have diluted Soho’s once-exclusive cachet, making profitability elusive even with packed membership rolls.

💸 Apollo Global Management sweetened the deal with $850M in hybrid debt-and-equity financing, part of a growing playbook to fund complex deals. Founder Nick Jones and billionaire Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa retained majority control, while hedge fund manager Dan Loeb—both investor and club member—gave his stamp of approval to the privatization.

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