Companies Rush to Sell Billions in Stock as Middle East Tensions Escalate

International companies and investors completed approximately $20 billion in stock sales during a three-day period as Middle East conflicts intensified. Financial advisors say firms are moving quickly to raise capital before market conditions potentially worsen due to regional instability.

LONDON – International corporations and investment firms completed massive stock sales worth tens of billions of dollars during recent trading sessions as Middle East tensions escalated into active conflict, financial advisors and new data reveal.

Financial markets data from LSEG shows approximately $20 billion in equity transactions occurred during three consecutive trading days from Friday through Tuesday, representing nearly 16% of the total $130 billion in deals completed this year. This trading activity was almost three times higher than the typical daily volume recorded over the previous two months.

The previous week marked the most active period for worldwide equity capital markets in 2024, with transaction values exceeding $25 billion, the data indicates. Deal proceeds have increased 60% compared to the same timeframe in 2025.

According to three equity advisors who spoke with Reuters, several companies and their stakeholders have sought equity investors before market conditions potentially deteriorate further and complicate capital raising efforts.

Among the major transactions, shareholders of U.S.-listed medical company Medline, including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Blackstone and Carlyle, moved to sell shares in a deal potentially valued at $3.4 billion. Additional companies entered the market seeking funding for planned acquisitions. ADIA refused to provide comment, while Medline and other investors did not respond to inquiries about their sale timing.

Financial markets have experienced significant disruption due to U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes throughout the region.

Tom Johnson, Barclays’ global head of capital markets, who handled a $2.5 billion funding round for Britain’s Rosebank Industries on Tuesday, explained the market dynamics. “If you’re confronted with an option where you’ve got very strong visibility over an outcome and it’s available, in an environment where volatility is picking up, it’s probably the right thing to take what’s in front of you,” Johnson stated.

“If you think the market is strong enough to do these deals, there’s a sense you should just get on with things,” he continued, discussing the broader increase in sales activity since Friday.

Johnson clarified that Rosebank’s capital raise followed predetermined schedules rather than being accelerated by Middle East conflict. A Rosebank representative confirmed the fundraising announcement occurred at least two weeks before regional conflicts began, with the company prioritizing rapid completion of the transaction process.

French energy company Engie completed a 3 billion euro ($3.49 billion) capital raise on Friday to support financing for its UK Power Networks acquisition. Alexis Le Touze, BNP Paribas’ head of equity capital markets for France, told Reuters the Friday launch timing aimed to avoid potential market disruption while capitalizing on strong market reception and significant investor interest.

“If things in the market are getting worse and worse, you may not be in a position to finance your project or finance your acquisition,” Le Touze added, referencing the increased dealmaking activity since Friday.

An Engie spokesperson attributed the capital raise decision primarily to positive investor feedback and favorable market conditions.

Tom Swerling, Deutsche Bank’s global head of equity capital markets, offered perspective on future market activity. “If we have market volatility like this for a number of weeks, then it’s very possible that transactional activity will slow down, but at the end of the day, we have a lot of clients that still need to do deals,” Swerling said.