News•Feb 19, 2026
Department of Labor Issues FLSA Guidance in Recent Opinion Letters
Earlier in 2026 the U.S. Department of Labor released two opinion letters interpreting key Fair Labor Standards Act provisions. The first letter clarified that employers may lawfully reclassify a worker who meets the learned professional exemption as nonexempt, provided overtime and minimum‑wage rules are observed. The second letter ruled that performance‑based, formulaic bonuses are nondiscretionary and must be included in the regular rate when calculating overtime. Together, the guidance helps employers align classification and incentive‑pay practices with federal law.
By HR Daily Advisor
News•Feb 19, 2026
Operational Risk Assessments: Servicer and Originator Rankings
Morningstar released its February 19 2026 Operational Risk Assessment report ranking CMBS servicers and originators. The ranking evaluates entities on credit underwriting, servicing quality, and capital resilience, highlighting the top performers and those with heightened risk exposures. Methodology incorporates recent loss‑experience data...
By DBRS Morningstar – Research/News
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
M&A Monday: Incentivizing Employees After Closing
In M&A deals, retaining staff after closing hinges on well‑designed incentive programs. Sponsors can choose between simple Christmas performance bonuses, phantom equity arrangements, or full equity plans such as stock options, each with distinct tax and legal considerations. The article...
By Eli Albrecht’s M&A Monday
News•Feb 19, 2026
Chris Welz Named Partner at Secretly Distribution After Company’s ‘Biggest Year Ever’
Secretly Distribution has promoted longtime COO Chris Welz to Partner, marking his elevation to ownership after two decades. Welz, who built the company’s global physical distribution and digital services, will now co‑lead scaling efforts with CEO Darius Van Arman. The...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Tongaat Hulett Collapse Looms
Tongaat Hulett, South Africa's leading sugar producer, is heading for provisional liquidation after its business rescue plan collapsed. The Vision Group's acquisition of lender claims and a debt‑to‑equity swap failed, leaving the rescue unimplementable. Cosatu warns the collapse will trigger...
By Mail & Guardian (South Africa) – Business
News•Feb 19, 2026
Meet Jake Basden, CEO of HYBE AMERICA Nashville’s Blue Highway Records: ‘I Bring a Manager’s Mentality to the Position.’
HYBE America has rebranded its Nashville division, formerly Big Machine Label Group, as Blue Highway Records and appointed veteran Jake Basden as CEO. Basden, who previously led Sandbox Management and served as SVP of Communications at BMLG, brings a manager‑first...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
How Mycroft Scaled to over 100 Customers without a Playbook
Mycroft, a Canadian AI‑driven cybersecurity startup, has surpassed 100 B2B customers and is approaching $2 million CAD in ARR after a $3.5 million USD seed round. Founder Mike Kim built the platform as a virtual CISO, using AI agents to automate policy...
By BetaKit (Canada)
News•Feb 19, 2026
#58391
The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) announced a temporary pricing method for NIC1 options, adjusted MidWestOne contracts, because the cash‑in‑lieu for the 0.75 fractional share remains undetermined. OCC will calculate the NIC1 price by multiplying the closing price of Nicolet Bankshares...
By OCC (Options Clearing Corporation) – Information Memos
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/NumberoftheDay-ff7d557f21604c57972f11b45bbbc6c9.png)
News•Feb 19, 2026
6.1 Million Workers Have the Most to Lose From AI
A Brookings Institution study finds that 6.1 million U.S. workers occupy jobs highly exposed to AI while possessing low ability to transition to new roles. Customer service representatives top the list of at‑risk occupations, and the cohort is 86 % women in...
By Investopedia — Economics
News•Feb 19, 2026
Cohere Co-Founder Nick Frosst Wants to Build More Canadian, Less Silicon Valley-Centric AI
Co‑founder Nick Frosst said at the Vector Institute conference that AI development should reflect Canadian values rather than Silicon Valley dominance. He positioned Cohere as Canada’s flagship large‑language‑model company, emphasizing efficient, custom models for business ROI over frontier AGI pursuits....
By BetaKit (Canada)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Forget B2B—Think P2P (People-to-People), and Other Tips For Genuine Thought Leadership
SupportYourApp’s CEO Daria Leshchenko demonstrates that thought leadership succeeds when it centers on people‑to‑people storytelling rather than pure B2B messaging. By granting her team autonomy, sharing personal successes and failures, and publishing across LinkedIn, Inc. forums, and podcasts, she has...
By Inc. — Leadership
News•Feb 19, 2026
SB Energy Tapped for Proposed 9.2‑GW Ohio Gas Power Plant in First Tranche of $550B U.S.–Japan Deal: What We Know
The Trump administration announced that SoftBank’s U.S. affiliate SB Energy will develop a proposed 9.2‑GW, $33 billion natural‑gas power complex near Portsmouth, Ohio. The project is the flagship of a $36 billion first tranche of a $550 billion U.S.–Japan strategic investment framework that...
By POWER Magazine
News•Feb 19, 2026
Should We Be Concerned That More Than Half of New CPA Licenses Issued in This State Last Year Went to...
In 2025 Washington’s State Board of Accountancy issued a record 2,086 new CPA licenses, a 16.3% increase from the previous year. Remarkably, more than 60% of those licenses were awarded to international candidates who sat the exam at overseas testing...
By Going Concern
News•Feb 19, 2026
HSMAI Celebrates 69th Annual Adrian Awards
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) hosted its 69th Adrian Awards on February 18 in New York, honoring the year’s most innovative travel and hospitality campaigns. The ceremony introduced a refreshed structure with 30 categories split across Paid, Earned,...
By Hotel News Resource
News•Feb 19, 2026
Date Brand Joolies Ignites Growth in ‘Sleepy’ Category With Vibrant Packaging, Micro-Influencers
Joolies, a California‑grown Medjool date brand, revamped the sleepy dried‑fruit category with vibrant mint‑green stand‑up pouches and clear tubs, targeting younger shoppers. Leveraging nano‑influencers under 5,000 followers, the brand emphasized authentic lifestyle messaging rather than clinical claims. The strategy propelled...
By Chief Marketer
News•Feb 19, 2026
TIP Solar Raises $179.7 Million in ABS From Residential Solar, PPA Leases
TIP Solar, backed by GoodLeap’s residential solar leases and PPAs, has issued $179.7 million in asset‑backed securities. The ABS are collateralized by 7,812 leases held by Jaguar Solar Owner 2026‑1 and structured into A‑ and B‑tranches with anticipated repayments through March 2033 and...
By Asset Securitization Report
News•Feb 19, 2026
Noodles & Company Executes 8-for-1 Reverse Stock Split
Noodles & Company completed an 8‑for‑1 reverse stock split on Feb. 19, 2026, moving its share price from $0.50 to roughly $4.00 to satisfy Nasdaq’s $1 minimum listing requirement. The split was approved by more than 96% of shareholders at a...
By Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN)
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Align Governance, Risk, and Compliance for Cohesive Strategy
Governance sets direction. Risk measures exposure. Compliance checks alignment. And yet, frequently, these three are completely misaligned. How do governance, risk, and compliance work together for your organization?
By Sean D. Mack
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
B.I.G. Tips – Earnings Triple Plays Recap: Q4 2025
The fourth quarter of 2025 saw 98 earnings triple plays across roughly 1,100 U.S. listed companies, a drop of 110 from the previous reporting period’s 208. A triple play occurs when a firm beats both earnings‑per‑share and revenue forecasts while...
By Bespoke Investment Group – Think B.I.G. Blog
Podcast•Feb 19, 2026•14 min
Hypersonic Hustle & Orbital Muscle.
The episode highlights three major developments in the defense and commercial space sector: Stratolaunch securing a $90.8 million Department of War contract for the MACH‑TB 2.0 air‑launched test vehicle program, Agile Space Industries closing a $17 million Series A round to expand its small‑sat...
By T-Minus Space Daily
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
30-Year TIPS Auction Gets Real Yield of 2.473%, Second Highest in 16 Years
The U.S. Treasury’s latest 30‑year Treasury Inflation‑Protected Securities (TIPS) auction posted a real yield of 2.473%, the second‑highest level in the past 16 years and the highest since the series was relaunched in February 2010. Demand was strong, with the...
By TipsWatch (Treasury Inflation‑Protected Securities)
News•Feb 19, 2026
UK Heavy Goods Vehicle Sales Dipped in 2025; ZEVs at 1.4% Share
UK heavy goods vehicle registrations fell 10% in 2025, with 40,504 new trucks added, marking a contraction across every quarter. The decline was most pronounced in box vans (-28.1%) and curtain‑sided trucks (-26.2%), while tractor units slipped 4.4% but rebounded...
By Just Auto
News•Feb 19, 2026
Hulking Wilmington Office Slated For Resi Conversion Following Life Sciences Firm's Exit
Buccini Pollin Group has purchased the 500,000‑square‑foot Bracebridge office complex from life‑sciences firm Incyte, announcing a mixed‑use redevelopment that will add residential units above ground‑level office and retail. Incyte will retain an 80,000‑square‑foot lease, while the developer aims to finish construction...
By Bisnow
News•Feb 19, 2026
Booking Holdings Announces a Massive 25-for-1 Stock Split. Here's What Investors Need to Know
Booking Holdings announced its first-ever forward stock split, converting each share into 25 shares. The 25‑for‑1 split will take effect on April 6, 2026, after distribution on April 2, with shares trading on a split‑adjusted basis. The move follows a...
By Motley Fool Investing
News•Feb 19, 2026
Why This International Dividend ETF Is Outperforming in 2026
The Franklin International Dividend Booster ETF (XIDV) posted an 8.95% year‑to‑date return, slightly outpacing the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) at 8.75%. XIDV follows VettaFi’s rules‑based dividend‑optimization index, targeting yields two to three times its parent benchmark without using...
By ETF Trends (VettaFi)
News•Feb 19, 2026
PMG To Build Another Supertall Next To Waldorf Astoria
Property Markets Group (PMG) announced a 90‑story, 985‑foot Delano‑branded condo tower at 400 Biscayne Blvd., adjacent to its 1,096‑foot Waldorf Astoria development in downtown Miami. The 421‑unit project will launch sales in March with prices starting at $800,000, offering studios...
By Bisnow
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
4 Vital Steps to Become an M&A Analyst
The guide breaks down how recent graduates can land a coveted M&A analyst role, outlining core responsibilities such as valuations, research, and memorandum preparation. It details the educational background most banks prefer, from finance and economics to engineering, and recommends...
By DealRoom – Blog
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
Auto Draft
Veteran CISOs are urged to abandon technical dashboards and become business risk leaders who speak the board’s language. By translating security concepts into revenue‑impact terms, aligning initiatives with corporate growth plans, and quantifying cyber risk in monetary values, they secure...
By Erdal Ozkaya’s Cybersecurity Blog
News•Feb 19, 2026
UPS Is Closing Package Facilities: See the List of Doomed Locations Across Several States in 2026
United Parcel Service disclosed that 22 of its planned package‑facility closures will occur across more than 18 states, part of a broader network reconfiguration announced after a 30,000‑job reduction. The closures, revealed in a court filing, include several unionized sites...
By Inc. — Leadership
News•Feb 19, 2026
Federal CIO Tapped for Dual-Hatted Role at GSA
Federal Chief Information Officer Greg Barbaccia was appointed acting director of the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) and senior advisor to the GSA administrator. Barbaccia retains his titles as federal CIO, chief AI officer, and service‑delivery lead, consolidating...
By GovExec
News•Feb 19, 2026
LGBTQ Tourism Shifts Away From the United States as New Global Winners Emerge
The global LGBTQ travel market, now worth hundreds of billions and projected to exceed $500 billion by 2032, is rapidly rebalancing away from the United States. New data from the Spartacus Gay Travel Index shows the U.S. slipping to 48th place,...
By eTurboNews
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Buybacks Drop as Capex Takes Priority, ESO Dilution Fades
There are two reasons why buybacks are falling and likely to fall more 1. CApex as a use of FCF is deemed more important than share count reduction or SBC dilution offset 2. To the extent stocks fade the ESO awards provided...
By Andy Constan
Social•Feb 19, 2026
91 Days, Two Rate Calls, Then Warsh Takes Over
Only 91 days and two more rate decisions (Mar 18 and Apr 29) before Jerome Powell's term as Fed Chair ends (May 15th). Then it is the Warsh era...
By John Kicklighter
News•Feb 19, 2026
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp Announces Termination of the Agreement By and Between First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky and the...
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has terminated its formal written agreement with First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky, ending a regulatory oversight period that began in August 2024. The termination, achieved...
By Business Insider – Markets Insider
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Fed‑Treasury Coordination Must Be Transparent, Not Secret
Fed independence was a 20th century virtue. Fed inter-dependence is a 21st century necessity. The question was never whether the Fed and Treasury coordinate-it's whether that coordination happens in the dark or in the light The American people deserve monetary transparency...
By Jeff Park
Social•Feb 19, 2026
AI Agents Trigger Enterprise Platform Reset by 2026
My latest research: The Great CIO Platform Reset: Why Agentic AI Is Forcing a 2026 Reckoning https://t.co/5nUzVNyJb8 Bottom line: AI agents are reshaping enterprise platform strategy.
By Dion Hinchcliffe
News•Feb 19, 2026
Moncler Revenues Up 7% in Fourth Quarter on Strong Asia, Americas
Moncler reported a 7% rise in fourth‑quarter revenue at constant exchange rates, outpacing analyst forecasts, thanks to robust demand in Asia and the Americas. Full‑year revenue reached €3.13 billion, a 3% constant‑FX increase, while operating profit slipped marginally to €913.4 million. Founder...
By The Business of Fashion (BoF)
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Grey Swan Risks Amid Busy Global Macro Calendar
While I will keep an eye out for grey swans catalyzing (Iran and Supreme Court's decision on tariffs principally), the global macro docket picks up through Friday. Top event risk includes: Japan CPI; February PMIs; Mexico and Canada retail sales; US...
By John Kicklighter
Social•Feb 19, 2026
China Overtakes Germany as Leading Car Exporter, Threatening German Industry
Good piece "For not only has China’s market begun to dry up for Germany, big chunks of German industry now regard China as a direct threat to their interests" Great chart China is a much bigger net exporter (of cars) now than Germany...
By Brad Setser
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
Why Process Is the Fastest Way to Scale Execution
The episode debunks the myth that process hinders growth, explaining that well‑designed processes eliminate friction and enable faster execution without relying on heroic effort. It highlights how process captures and replicates expert judgment, turning best practices into consistent defaults that...
By COO Alliance Blog
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Founders Mistake Product Flaws for Growth Issues
lesson from 20+ years working in startups: most founders don’t have a growth problem. they have a product problem disguised as a growth problem
By Andrew Chen
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Moelis Hired to Broker Sale of Wasserman Amid Sports M&A.
🚨NEWS: Moelis has been retained to sell Wasserman, source tells Sportico. Moelis has been active in the space. Presided over, among others, Goldman buy of Excel Sports and Athlete’s First sale to General Catalyst.
By Scott Soshnick
News•Feb 19, 2026
Global Payments' Turnaround Gets Off on the Right Foot
Global Payments reported fourth‑quarter net revenue of $2.3 billion, a 6 % year‑over‑year increase, while net income fell to $217.5 million, missing consensus forecasts. The results sparked a 13 % surge in the stock as the company completed its Worldpay acquisition and announced a...
By American Banker
Social•Feb 19, 2026
AUD/USD Rally Pauses Near 2023 High, Streak Threatened
Australian Dollar Forecast: AUD/USD Rally Stalls Near 2023 High – Four-Week Streak at Risk https://t.co/srtBKcRq3k $AUDUSD Weekly Chart https://t.co/oGQK6Jc1uV
By Michael Boutros
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Pause When Emotions Surge to Avoid Regretful Mistakes
Step Back When Emotions Run Hot Hot emotions make you stupid. You do things you regret. And say things you can’t take back. Intelligence isn’t immunity to error. “Those who think they know, don’t.” Edward de Bono https://t.co/RrLkxuAnJs
By Dan Rockwell
News•Feb 19, 2026
Ownwell Raises $50M Series B Round
Ownwell announced a $50 million Series B financing, bringing its total capital to $74 million. The round includes $30 million in equity led by Alpha Edison and Mercato Partners, with participation from Intuit Ventures and other investors, plus $20 million in debt from Western Alliance...
By VC News Daily
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Discussing 2026 Credit Outlook, Including Private Credit
I will be joining @CNBC's @michaelsantoli this afternoon at 430p ET for a discussion of the credit markets--including, yes, private credit. Snip from our Outlook 2026. https://t.co/u8NP4oAYoL https://t.co/umYLiLDzTY
By Guy LeBas
Social•Feb 19, 2026
AI Data Centers Drain Power of 100k Homes
According to a report from the International Energy Agency, an average AI datacenter consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households. AI = HIGHER ELECTRICITY PRICES = AN AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM. https://t.co/65QNfr2y4U
By Steve Hanke
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Two Red Flags? Shift Leads to Nurture Pipeline
Founders: Pipeline qualification red flags: 🚩 Problem impact is 'hard to measure' 🚩 Multiple unnamed stakeholders 🚩 DIY solution currently in place 🚩 No urgency indicators in conversation 🚩 Budget is 'being determined' Two red flags = move them to nurture.
By Pete Kazanjy
Social•Feb 19, 2026
Turn IT From Gatekeeper to ROI Enabler
If your business units are bypassing IT to build their own AI "solutions," you don’t have a shadow IT problem—you have a value delivery problem. Stop being the "No" department and start being the "ROI" department. Watch @mkrigsman, @tcrawford, and @nyike:...
By Tim Crawford