Thursday, June 18, 2026
Read the Digital Magazines Subscribe to the Magazines
Subscribe

Company News

AcquisitionsCompany NewsKentuckyRestaurantRetailSoutheastTop Stories

Yum Brands Agrees to Sell Pizza Hut in Two Separate Transactions Totaling $2.7B

by John Nelson

LOUISVILLE, KY. — Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM), the Louisville-based operator of the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC franchises, has entered into an agreement to sell the Pizza Hut chain across two separate transactions with a combined value of $2.7 billion. LongRange Capital, a private equity firm based in Stamford, Conn., has agreed to purchase Pizza Hut outside of mainland China for approximately $1.5 billion. The company is financing its acquisition using funds from UBS Investment Bank. Yum China Holdings Inc. (NYSE: YUMC), which is based in Shanghai and was spun off from Yum! Brands in 2016, is acquiring the Pizza Hut holdings in mainland China for approximately $1.2 billion. Yum China says it is financing its acquisition using a combination of cash and debt financing. Yum! Brands announced in November that it began exploring strategic options for the Pizza Hut vertical. Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut is considered the second-largest pizza brand in the world with more than 15,500 restaurants in 108 countries globally and approximately $10 billion in annual system-wide sales, according to LongRange Capital. “Under LongRange and Yum China, Pizza Hut will be well-positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Company NewsDevelopmentIndustrialNortheastOfficePennsylvaniaRetailTop Stories

Urban Outfitters to Open New Distribution Facility in Metro Philadelphia, Add 1,050 Jobs

by John Nelson

PHILADELPHIA AND FALLS TOWNSHIP, PA. — Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), a global portfolio of apparel retail brands and physical shops that includes Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, is making a major investment in its home market of metropolitan Philadelphia. The company has announced that it will open a new facility for its Nuuly brand in Falls Township, a city located 28 miles northeast of Philadelphia in Bucks County. According to Urban Outfitters, the new facility will create 600 jobs and work in tandem with the existing 600,000-square-foot Nuuly distribution center in Raymore, Mo., that opened in 2024. Further details about the Falls Township facility were not released. Nuuly is a monthly subscription service that lets patrons rent apparel from URBN’s various brands. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, Nuuly represents almost 10 percent of URBN’s total net sales. In addition to the new facility, URBN plans to invest at least $150 million in capital and create 450 jobs at its global headquarters campus at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The company has been headquartered at the former shipyard since 2006 and recently opened the 117,000-square-foot Building 16. Today, URBN employs roughly 2,500 staffers at the Navy Yard, which includes adaptive …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
The-Meridian
AcquisitionsCompany NewsRetailTop Stories

TPG-Led Investor Group Acquires Shopping Center Owner ECHO Realty in $2B Deal

by Abby Cox

PITTSBURGH — TPG Real Estate has acquired ECHO Realty, a full-service owner and operator of grocery-anchored retail real estate, in a transaction valued at $2 billion. TPG, a global asset management firm based in San Fransisco, partnered with global investment groups PSP Investments, La Caisse and Norges Bank Investment Management for the transaction. “Our more than two decades of building and operating neighborhood, necessity-based shopping destinations demonstrate the enduring demand for grocery-anchored retail close to home,” says Thomas Karet, founder and CEO of ECHO. “With TPG’s investment and business-building expertise, we are confident ECHO is well-positioned to capitalize on demand for necessity-based shopping in key, high-performing markets.” Founded in 2000, ECHO owns and operates approximately 230 retail centers across the Midwest and Southeast U.S. markets, anchored by grocery and convenience stores such as Giant Eagle, Publix, Harris Teeter, Safeway, ACME Markets, Whole Foods Market and Alimentation Couche-Tard (GetGo). Since inception, the Pittsburgh-based company has acquired and developed more than 16 million square feet of neighborhood and regional centers. Notable shopping centers and properties owned by ECHO Realty include: The TPG-led investor group will partner with ECHO’s management team to scale the business across existing and new markets, while advancing acquisition …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Company NewsTexas

Reports: Samsung to Relocate U.S. Headquarters from New Jersey to Plano

by Taylor Williams

PLANO, TEXAS — Samsung will relocate its U.S. headquarters from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to Plano, according to reports from multiple publications, including The Dallas Morning News and The New York Post. According to the latter publication, the move comes less than a year after the Korean electronics giant debuted its new headquarters facility in the Bergen County community, though Samsung has not said whether it will completely abandon that facility. And according to local news outlet KDFW, which also reported that the relocation is expected to occur before the end of the year, the move represents a strategic effort by Samsung to concentrate its U.S. operations in Texas. Samsung operates a $17 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant in Taylor, a northern suburb of Austin.

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Company NewsDevelopmentHospitalitySoutheastVirginia

Hilton Launches Undergraduate Brand, Plans to Open More Than 400 Hotels

by John Nelson

MCLEAN, VA. — Hilton has launched Undergraduate by Hilton, an upper-midscale hospitality brand designed to serve a range of college and university markets. Hilton’s long-term plans for the brand include growing the pipeline of collegiate-themed hotels to 400 to 500 properties, with the first Undergraduate hotel set to open next year. The model will include both new builds and conversions of hotels near college campuses. Guestrooms will be designed to invoke classrooms with adaptable layouts, study corners and functional storage. Common spaces will include lounges, library-inspired social gathering areas, a barista-led, 24-hour market and a bar program by Authentic Hospitality. Undergraduate joins Hilton’s Lifestyle portfolio of properties, which is projected to grow to 700 hotels globally by 2028, including 60 new openings this year. The brand was created following the success of the Graduate by Hilton brand, which is also part of Hilton’s Lifestyle portfolio.

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Aventine-Littleton-Highlands-Ranch-CO
Company NewsMultifamilyTop Stories

AvalonBay, Equity Residential Announce $69B Merger Agreement

by Hayden Spiess

ARLINGTON, VA. AND CHICAGO — Multifamily owners and operators AvalonBay Communities (NYSE: AVB) and Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) have announced a definitive, all-stock merger agreement. The new combined company will have a total enterprise value of $69 billion, with a market capitalization of $52 billion.  Following the merger, the combined company’s portfolio will comprise more than 180,000 apartments. Together, AvalonBay and Equity Residential currently have 10,800 apartments under construction, totaling $4.4 billion in estimated value. Annual cash flow for the new company is estimated at $2 billion.  The merger has been unanimously approved by the AvalonBay board of directors and Equity Residential board of trustees. Under the agreement, AvalonBay shareholders will receive roughly 2.8 shares of Equity Residential common stock for each owned share of AvalonBay common stock.  Equity Residential shares closed at $66.28 on May 20, up from $65.97 a year prior. AvalonBay shares closed at $186.69 on May 20, down from $194.17 a year prior. According to the companies, the merger will enhance resident experience and expand margins across the multifamily portfolio by scaling operations.  “This combination creates a new and fundamentally stronger company with differentiated capabilities that will drive structurally superior cash flow generation, earnings and dividend …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Villano-Pull-Quote
CaliforniaCompany NewsConnecticutIndustrialNortheastTop StoriesWestern

Sachem Capital, IRG Enter Into Agreement to Create $3.4B Industrial REIT

by Taylor Williams

BRANFORD, CONN. AND LOS ANGELES — Sachem Capital Corp. (NYSE: SACH), a Connecticut-based real estate finance company, and Los Angeles-based Industrial Realty Group (IRG) have entered into a definitive contribution agreement to form a new industrial REIT with a market value of $3.4 billion. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, IRG will contribute 98 industrial properties from its portfolio of 200 assets to Sachem. Once complete, the newly formed company will operate as IRG Realty Trust Inc. (IRGT) and is expected to have an industrial portfolio with a gross real estate asset value of $2.9 billion. In addition, the new company will carry Sachem’s approximately $470 million (as of March 31, 2026) in direct and indirect mortgage loans, investments in developmental and owned real estate and other assets. The transaction values Sachem’s common shares at $2 per share, representing a 90 percent premium to the company’s 30‑day volume weighted average price. Upon closing, IRGT Inc. will focus on mission‑critical industrial infrastructure that supports manufacturing and distribution users. Assets that are not being contributed will continue to be owned and operated by IRG’s existing private business. “This accretive transaction …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
AcquisitionsColoradoCompany NewsIndustrialNew YorkNortheastTop StoriesWestern

Global Net Lease Agrees to Acquire Modiv Industrial in $535M Deal

by John Nelson

NEW YORK CITY AND DENVER — Global Net Lease Inc. (NYSE: GNL), a New York City-based net lease REIT, has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Modiv Industrial Inc. (NYSE: MDV), an industrial REIT based in Denver. The acquisition, which has been approved by the boards of directors for both companies, is valued at $535 million. Modiv Industrial owns and operates single-tenant industrial properties that are occupied by manufacturers on long-term net leases. According to the company, it is the only publicly traded REIT that exclusively focuses on ownership of manufacturing facilities. Recently announced transactions include Modiv acquiring a Fujifilm-occupied facility in Santa Clara, Calif., and agreeing to sell a facility in Melbourne, Fla., that is leased to Northrop Grumman. The merger deal will grow Global Net Lease’s holdings of mission-critical industrial properties. Though the number of properties involved was not released, multiple media outlets report that Modiv owned 39 industrial facilities at the time of sale. For Modiv, the transaction is expected to increase annual dividend payments by 25 percent for the combined company. No senior level executive changes are expected to occur as a result of the merger. Under terms of the all-stock transaction, holders of …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Zahr-Pull-Quote1
Company NewsFloridaNew YorkNortheastSoutheastTop Stories

Blue Owl Capital Agrees to Acquire Sila Realty Trust for $2.4B

by Taylor Williams

NEW YORK CITY AND TAMPA, FLA. — Affiliates of Blue Owl Capital (NYSE: OWL), a New York City-based private equity firm, have entered into an agreement to acquire Tampa-based REIT Sila Realty Trust (NYSE: SILA) for $2.4 billion. The deal, which will make Sila a private company, is expected to close late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of this year. The valuation represents a per-share stock price of $30.38 for Sila. That price constitutes a 19 percent premium over Sila’s closing stock price of $25.53 per share on April 17, the last full day of trading prior to the announcement. The share price also represents a 25.6 percent premium over Sila’s average volume weighted price for the last 30 trading days. BofA Securities is serving as Sila’s exclusive financial advisor, and Hogan Lovells US LLP is acting as Sila’s legal counsel. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as lead financial advisor to Blue Owl, with Truist Securities Inc. also acting as a financial advisor. Newmark is Blue Owl’s real estate advisor. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to Blue Owl. “The Sila team has curated a highly diversified collection of critically important …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Walmart
Company NewsDevelopmentRetailTop Stories

Walmart Plans 650 Remodels, 20 Store Openings in Next 12 Months

by Hayden Spiess

BENTONVILLE, ARK. — Walmart Inc. (Nasdaq: WMT) has announced plans to invest in more than 650 scheduled remodels of Walmart Supercenter and Walmart Neighborhood Market stores this year. The Bentonville-based retail giant also plans to open roughly 20 new stores throughout the remainder of 2026 and early 2027.  Plans include the expansion of a Walmart Supercenter in Tucson, Ariz., as well as the opening of a Supercenter store in Celina, Texas. Earlier this year the retailer opened a new Walmart Supercenter in Eastvale, Calif., as well as three Supercenters and a Neighborhood Market in Florida. Remodeled stores will feature wider aisles and updated layouts; new display designs; expanded pickup and delivery capabilities; updated Vision Centers and pharmacies with private consultation rooms; new digital touchpoints; and refreshed interiors, signage, parking and landscaping.  Stores operating under the Neighborhood Market format will also be updated with expanded deli and hot bar areas, enhanced lighting and fixtures, pharmacy delivery options and upgraded online order fulfillment areas.  In early 2024, the retail giant announced a commitment to open or convert more than 150 new stores. Store openings in 2025 included locations in Alabama, California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas and Utah.  According to the company, fiscal revenue for …

Continue Reading
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts