Premium Buyout Offer to Reshape This REIT’s Future

A $24-a-share buyout offer. A 47% rally in a single session. And a REIT suddenly in play for Wall Street’s biggest funds.

U.S. stocks slipped Tuesday as investors took profits in tech, braced for Powell’s Jackson Hole speech, and weighed mixed retail earnings alongside uncertainty from U.S.–Ukraine peace talks.

Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST) has agreed to acquire rival Tegna (NYSE: TGNA) in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.54 billion, creating a new broadcasting powerhouse.

The combined company will control more than 260 local stations and extend Nexstar’s footprint into nine of the top ten U.S. media markets, covering nearly 80% of households.

The deal is valued at $6.2 billion when including debt and related expenses. For investors, this merger represents a decisive shift in scale and bargaining power.

Nexstar is positioning itself to compete not only with traditional broadcasters but also with Big Tech platforms that increasingly dominate advertising spending.

By consolidating operations, the company expects to achieve approximately $300 million in annual cost savings, adding efficiency at a time when cord-cutting continues to erode traditional TV revenue.

Shareholders will be watching whether Nexstar can translate this broader reach into higher digital ad sales, stronger retransmission agreements, and new distribution opportunities.

For potential new entrants, the merger strengthens Nexstar’s case as a defensive play in the media industry, where scale and reach are becoming prerequisites for survival.

As consolidation accelerates in the local TV market, Nexstar is placing itself at the center of the industry’s next chapter.

If the company can integrate Tegna effectively and extract the promised synergies, it may emerge as one of the few broadcasters capable of standing toe-to-toe with national media giants.

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Black Hills Corporation (NYSE: BKH) has announced an all-stock merger with NorthWestern Energy Group (NASDAQ: NWE), creating a combined enterprise valued at $15.4 billion and serving more than 2.1 million customers across eight U.S. states.

The deal, unanimously approved by both boards, will nearly double the companies’ regulated rate base to $11.4 billion and set planned capital expenditures at more than $7 billion through 2029.

For investors, this merger carries direct implications.

The combined utility will gain both scale and stability in regulated markets, an advantage in a sector facing high infrastructure costs and the pressure to modernize grids.

The merged company has significantly improved its long-term earnings growth outlook to 5–7%, positioning it above the usual trajectory of standalone regional utilities.

A stronger growth target, coupled with a larger rate base, makes the new entity more resilient against cost shocks and policy swings.

Potential new investors should note that consolidation in the utility sector is rare, and scale is a key factor.

Black Hills is now transforming from a mid-cap player into a stronger regional platform with diversified geography.

For shareholders, the merger signals more than operational efficiency: it marks a bid to create one of the Midwest’s most defensible and growth-oriented regulated utilities.

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AI ETFs are scooping up positions across the market, but some of their top picks aren’t the usual mega-cap suspects. Instead, names like Snowflake and Astera Labs are standing out as consistent holdings in dozens of funds.

Both companies play very different roles in the AI buildout, yet each is shaping up as a critical piece of the ecosystem.

Snowflake

Snowflake’s (NYSE: SNOW) cloud-based data platform has become a cornerstone for companies trying to make sense of AI-driven insights.

With more than 25 AI ETFs holding its shares, the stock has quietly gained over 25% this year.

Strong analyst support and recurring enterprise demand suggest that Snowflake still has room to run, even after its recent rally.

Astera Labs

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) has experienced explosive growth due to its chips and controllers designed for AI infrastructure.

Its latest earnings showed revenue up 150% and EPS tripling, powered by demand for high-speed connectivity hardware.

With analysts forecasting triple-digit earnings growth again next year, Astera is emerging as one of the fastest-growing hardware plays tied to AI.

Snowflake and Astera Labs demonstrate that the backbone of AI extends beyond software and GPUs.

ETFs are already treating them as essential, and this positioning could be an early indicator of broader investor interest.

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Plymouth Industrial REIT Inc [PLYM] $21.54 (+47.13%)

Plymouth Industrial REIT surged after receiving an unsolicited $24.10 per-share buyout proposal from Sixth Street, which already holds nearly 10% of the company.

Visionwave Holdings Inc [VWAV] $8.81 (+18.41%)

VisionWave gained after advancing its IP strategy with a continuation patent filing and unveiling its new Evolved Intelligence AI engine for defense autonomy.

Flexsteel Inds [FLXS] $41.43 (+13.35%)

Flexsteel climbed after delivering a 67% earnings surprise and beating revenue estimates, marking its fourth straight quarter of outperformance.

Viking Thera [VKTX] $24.33 (-42.17%)

Viking plunged after a mid-stage trial of its weight-loss pill showed a 28% patient dropout rate due to gastrointestinal side effects, overshadowing positive weight-loss results.

Thumzup Media Corp [TZUP] $5.01 (-41.06%)

Thumzup dropped further after revealing plans to merge with Dogehash and rebrand as a Dogecoin miner, sparking concerns over execution and fairness of the deal.

SFL Corporation Ltd [SFL] $7.60 (-16.76%)

SFL fell after reporting a sharp drop in quarterly profit to $1.5 million, alongside weaker cash flow from vessel sales and reduced near-term dividend capacity.

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