CNBC Daily Open: Big M&A activity returns to the U.S. — but the deal-maker is the White House

It's starting to consciousness similar we're successful a crippled of Pac-Man, successful which the U.S. authorities is the eponymous bare yellowish blob furiously chomping connected everything successful sight.

The White House's 10% involvement successful Intel and revenue-sharing agreement with Nvidia and AMD look similar they're conscionable the start successful a bid of deals, arsenic President Donald Trump promised. On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that the Pentagon is having "a monstrous discussion" implicit whether to get equity stakes successful firms specified arsenic Lockheed Martin.

Likewise, Trump's early assaults connected Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell turned retired to beryllium conscionable his opening salvo connected the cardinal bank. On Monday nighttime stateside, the U.S. person terminated Lisa Cook, a Fed governor, implicit allegations of owe fraud. The adjacent day, astatine a Cabinet meeting, Trump said helium volition "have a majority" of his nominees astatine the Fed, "so that'll beryllium great."

Prior to Trump's inauguration, analysts were upbeat astir a looser regulatory situation that could facilitate much mergers and acquisitions. They astir apt weren't reasoning astir the White House being the main deal-maker.

China's banal marketplace looks to shingle disconnected casino vibes

About a decennary ago, China's retail investors sought yearly returns of 30% to 50%, dismissing single-digit gains, said Jin Xin, writer of a Chinese concern book. By contrast, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average person delivered little than 15% annualized returns implicit the past decade.

But mainland Chinese investors person matured since then. Various crises wiped retired galore portfolios. Now, investors successful China are little apt to pursuit single-stock stories, portion holding shares longer and aiming for dependable 5% to 10% returns, Jin said.

— Evelyn Cheng