Squawk Pod 5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell 12/22/2025
Dec 22, 2025
Waymo is back in action in San Francisco after a blackout disrupted its service. In the finance world, an $8.4 billion deal sees Clearwater Analytics going private. Meanwhile, Avatar 3 has disappointed at the box office, raking in only $88 million. On a thrilling note, tonight's Powerball jackpot is almost hitting $1.6 billion. Lastly, SoftBank is close to securing over $22 billion in funding for OpenAI before the year's end.
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Driverless Fleet Vulnerable To Blackouts
- Waymo resumed service in San Francisco after a blackout paused its driverless taxis and videos showed vehicles stalled and blocking intersections.
- The incident highlights operational fragility of autonomous fleets during citywide infrastructure failures.
Private Equity Targets Investment-Software
- Permira and Warburg Pincus agreed to buy Clearwater Analytics for about $8.4 billion in a private equity deal.
- The transaction underscores sustained appetite for enterprise SaaS assets among buyout firms.
Big Franchise Shows Box-Office Slowdown
- Avatar 3 underperformed with an $88 million U.S. opening versus $110–125 million estimates.
- The weaker debut suggests diminishing returns for even high-profile franchise tentpoles.