Banking Dealmaking: Banco BPM has proposed a “merger of equals” with Italy’s Monte dei Paschi (MPS), aiming to build a €50bn-plus banking group and kick off talks, adding fuel to Italy’s ongoing consolidation wave. Retail Investing & Markets: SpaceX’s IPO is set to offer an unusually large retail allocation across Europe, with UK and other platforms inviting applications—investors are excited, but analysts warn the valuation and small float could make it bumpy for households. Payments Innovation: ING, Worldline and Mastercard completed Europe’s first live end-to-end agentic payment transaction in a production setting, showing AI-led shopping and settlement on existing banking and card rails. Crypto Regulation: UK peers urged the Bank of England to loosen stablecoin rules, arguing current caps and reserve requirements could slow the country’s digital-asset ambitions. Aviation Finance: IATA warned that higher jet-fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict could push more airlines into bankruptcy and accelerate consolidation. EU-India Investment Push: “Team Europe” ambassadors will visit Assam (June 8–9) to back trade and industrial partnerships, including a new Blue Valley Cluster. Energy & AI Infrastructure: SoftBank plans up to €75bn for AI data centers in France, betting on power availability as the key constraint. Business Confidence: Lloyds Bank’s latest barometer shows UK business confidence edging up, with construction rebounding and firms still cautious on costs and uncertainty.