GFL Environmental To Sell Stake In Environmental Services Business: Debt Reduction & Stock Buyback On The Cards
GFL Environmental Inc. Sale Agreement: GFL Environmental announced a deal to sell its Environmental Services business to Apollo Global Management and BC Partners for an enterprise value of C$8.0 billion, while retaining a 44% equity interest and expecting net cash proceeds of approximately C$6.2 billion.
Financial Strategy Post-Transaction: GFL plans to use up to C$3.75 billion of the proceeds to repay debt and C$2.25 billion for share repurchases, aiming to improve its balance sheet and accelerate its path to an investment-grade credit rating.
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- Merger Completion: KWHP and Ascendant successfully acquired Sotherly Hotels through their joint venture KW Kingfisher LLC at a price of $2.25 per share, with shareholder approval obtained on January 22, 2026, marking a strategic expansion into the Southeastern U.S. market.
- Operational Transition: Schulte Hospitality Group will take over operations of Sotherly's 10 full-service hotels and a condo-hotel management agreement, enhancing its influence in high-end hotel management and aligning management efforts through co-investment with the investor group.
- Market Potential: Sotherly owns 2,786 hotel rooms across ten full-service hotels in seven states, and the acquisition will significantly bolster KWHP and Ascendant's high-quality hospitality portfolio in the Southeast, catering to the growing travel demand.
- Strategic Collaboration: This acquisition represents a crucial step in KWHP and Ascendant's execution of their high-quality asset strategy, aiming to enhance guest experiences and drive growth for these upscale assets through resource integration and expertise sharing.
- Investigation Launched: Pomerantz LLP is investigating on behalf of Apollo Global Management investors regarding potential securities fraud or other unlawful business practices, highlighting serious concerns about corporate governance and compliance.
- Executive Discussions Exposed: The Financial Times reported that Apollo executives, including CEO Marc Rowan, held extensive discussions about tax arrangements with Jeffrey Epstein during the 2010s, despite the firm previously claiming no business dealings with him, which could significantly damage the company's reputation.
- Stock Price Decline: Following this news, Apollo's stock price fell by $7.69, or 5.72%, closing at $126.85 per share on February 3, 2026, reflecting market concerns over the company's governance issues.
- Potential Legal Consequences: As a prominent securities class action firm, Pomerantz LLP's investigation may lead to substantial damages and legal liabilities for Apollo, further impacting investor confidence and the company's future market performance.
- Software Sector Hit: The iShares Tech-Expanded Software Sector ETF (NYSE:IGV) has plummeted nearly 20% year-to-date, making it the worst-performing industry, as fears mount that AI tools could disintermediate traditional software providers, causing forward P/E ratios for application software to drop from 35.3 to 23.7 and systems software from 35.5 to 23.3, reflecting market concerns over future earnings durability.
- Brokerage Pressure: Investment banks and brokerage firms are under pressure following the rollout of AI tools by fintech firm Altruist, with forward P/E ratios declining from 24.7 to 15.9, as the market fears that AI could replace traditional advisors in the future, leading to long-term margin compression.
- Insurance Broker Anxiety: Insurance brokers are facing disruption due to the integration of AI-driven tools, with the S&P Insurance Brokers industry index down 4% year-to-date; while the insurance sector remains relationship-driven, there are concerns that AI could erode commissions, impacting brokers' income stability.
- Asset Management Damage: Alternative asset managers are indirectly affected by significant exposure to private software companies, with many large firms down double digits year-to-date, as declining public software valuations raise concerns about their private portfolios, shrinking exit opportunities.
- Merger Completion: KWHP and Ascendant successfully acquired Sotherly Hotels through their joint venture KW Kingfisher at a cash price of $2.25 per share, significantly enhancing both firms' hotel investment portfolios in the Southeastern U.S. markets.
- Shareholder Approval: Sotherly's shareholders unanimously approved the acquisition at a special meeting on January 22, 2026, indicating strong support for the strategic direction post-merger, which is expected to improve overall operational efficiency.
- Management Transition: Schulte Hospitality Group will assume operations of Sotherly's 10 full-service hotels and its single condo-hotel management agreement, leveraging its extensive industry experience to enhance guest experiences and drive business growth.
- Financing Support: Apollo and Ascendant provided debt financing commitments for the transaction, ensuring adequate funding for the joint venture and further solidifying KWHP and Ascendant's market position in high-quality hotel assets.

Joint Venture Announcement: KEMMONS WILSON HOSPITALITY PARTNERS and ASCENDANT CAPITAL PARTNERS have formed a joint venture.
Acquisition Details: The joint venture has successfully completed the acquisition of Sotherly Hotels Inc.
- Revenue Growth: In FY2025, AB InBev reported revenue of $59.32 billion, reflecting a 2.0% increase year-over-year, with a 2.5% rise in Q4, demonstrating the company's resilience and adaptability in a dynamic consumer environment.
- Earnings Per Share Increase: The underlying EPS for FY2025 rose by 6.0% to $3.73, with Q4 EPS increasing by 7.5% to $0.95, indicating effective management of profitability and capital allocation.
- Strong Free Cash Flow: The company generated $11.3 billion in free cash flow for FY2025, showcasing its ongoing cash generation capability and financial robustness, which supports future investments and shareholder returns.
- Shareholder Return Plan: The Board proposed a final dividend of €1.00 per share, bringing the total dividend for 2025 to €1.15, reflecting the company's commitment to shareholders and its ongoing dividend growth strategy.






