Building-materials giant CRH confirmed plans to acquire rival Arcosa in a deal valued at $8.5 billion. The transaction aims to bolster CRH’s aggregates-led portfolio, positioning the company to capitalize on long-term infrastructure investment trends. Meanwhile, the luxury electric vehicle maker Lucid Group is cutting 18% of its U.S. workforce, including its chief operating officer, as it attempts to lower costs and realign production capacity with current market demand.

Corporate restructuring and acquisition drama extend to the airline industry, where EasyJet’s board rebuffed a third takeover bid from U.S. investment firm Castlelake. The $6.27 billion offer was dismissed despite Castlelake’s efforts to rally shareholders by highlighting the airline’s depressed share price following Middle East instability. In the defense sector, AeroVironment shares stumbled after the company disclosed that its financial statements for the quarter ending in January require reissuance due to an internal accounting error.