International News 27 October 2025
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Blackstone Invests US$705 Million in India’s Federal Bank, Becoming Largest Shareholder
Blackstone will invest approximately US$705 million (Rp11.3 trillion) in Federal Bank, one of India’s leading private lenders, marking one of the largest recent international investments in the country’s banking sector. The deal, executed through a Singapore-based affiliate, will give Blackstone a 9.9% stake—making it the bank’s largest shareholder—and includes the right to nominate one non-executive director to the board. The investment will be carried out via a combination of preferred shares and warrants, pending approval from shareholders and regulators, with a vote scheduled for November 19. Federal Bank, which manages a loan portfolio worth 2.44 trillion rupees, reported a 9.6% decline in net profit to 9.55 billion rupees in the September quarter due to lower treasury income and higher provisions for bad loans. The move comes amid a surge in mergers and acquisitions in India’s private banking sector. Last week, Dubai’s Emirates NBD acquired a 60% stake in RBL Bank for US$3 billion, while Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation increased its holdings in Yes Bank to 24.2% after additional purchases in May and September.
https://internasional.kontan.co.id/news/blackstone-beli-saham-bank-di-india-senilai-us-705-juta
Oil Prices Slip as Market Doubts U.S. Commitment to Russia Sanctions
Global oil prices fell on Friday (Oct 24, 2025) as traders questioned President Donald Trump’s commitment to enforcing sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Brent crude settled at US$65.94 per barrel, down 0.1%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) dropped 0.5% to US$61.50. Both benchmarks initially extended Thursday’s 5% surge following the sanctions announcement but lost momentum in the final hours of trading. Despite the pullback, oil prices posted their strongest weekly gain since mid-June, rising more than 7%. The sanctions, aimed at pressuring Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, threaten to disrupt over 5% of global oil output. Chinese state-owned refiners reportedly paused Russian oil purchases, while India—another major buyer—is expected to sharply cut imports. Analysts warned that supply flows to India face high risks, though China’s diversified sourcing may cushion the impact. Meanwhile, Kuwait’s oil minister said OPEC is ready to boost production if needed, and the U.S. signaled further action. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the sanctions as “unfriendly” but downplayed their impact on Russia’s economy. Investors now turn their attention to next week’s meeting between Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, which could ease trade tensions and stabilize markets.
SoftBank Commits Additional $22.5 Billion to OpenAI Ahead of Possible IPO
SoftBank has approved a second installment of US$22.5 billion toward its planned US$30 billion investment in OpenAI, according to The Information on Saturday (Oct 25, 2025), as reported by Reuters. The installment is contingent on OpenAI completing a corporate restructuring that would pave the way for a potential initial public offering (IPO), a source familiar with the matter said. Once finalized, the funding will bring OpenAI’s latest capital raise to US$41 billion, following earlier rounds announced in April. SoftBank initially committed US$10 billion in April 2025 and an additional US$30 billion in December, conditional on OpenAI transitioning to a nonprofit structure by year-end. The tech investment giant reportedly warned that if the restructuring falls through, its total investment would be reduced to US$20 billion. Both SoftBank and OpenAI have yet to comment on the report, which marks one of the largest single private investments in the AI sector to date.