Know What's Happening in Finance
Know What's Happening in Finance
Klarna secures $1.7B risk transfer and $2B funding facility to boost lending
Klarna unveiled a $2 billion forward‑flow facility with Elliott Investment Management that will back up to $17 billion of U.S. loan originations over the next three years. It also completed a €1.7 billion Significant Risk Transfer led by Värde Partners, freeing capital for broader lending.
Also developing:
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) announced it will release a high‑level regulatory framework permitting trading platforms to offer perpetual contracts. The framework targets institutional investors and mandates robust risk‑management and conflict‑of‑interest safeguards. Brokers will also be allowed to extend financing backed by bitcoin and ether as collateral, subject to strict credit‑profile criteria. These steps form part of the SFC’s 2025 roadmap to expand the city’s crypto market.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed that the Best Price Rule applies only to shares actually taken up and paid for in a tender offer, not to shares the offeror cannot lawfully acquire. The ruling arose...
U.S. fixed‑income markets ended 2025 on a positive note as Federal Reserve rate cuts and cooling inflation lifted bond prices. Thornburg's municipal bond funds posted mixed returns, with the AAA curve flattening and short‑term yields rising while longer maturities fell....
Tradeweb Markets posted 12.5% year‑over‑year revenue growth in Q4 2025 and expanded its adjusted EBITDA margin to 53.2%, driven by strong volume gains in rates and derivatives. Early 2026 data shows double‑digit daily volume growth, supporting the firm’s high‑teens growth...
Country Garden shares rose about 1.8% after the Shanghai Stock Exchange issued a circulated criticism for delayed debt disclosures but stopped short of imposing fines. The regulator flagged failures across three reporting periods and recorded disciplinary action against the firm...
Tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs) are now dominated by institutions, with U.S. Treasuries, money‑market funds and stablecoin‑backed collateral products leading the market. Panelists at Consensus Hong Kong 2026 highlighted the next frontier: tokenized equities, private credit, real estate and other illiquid assets aimed...
First Capital REIT reported solid Q4 and full‑year 2025 results, with operating FFO per unit rising 7% YoY to $0.34 and total portfolio occupancy reaching 97.1%, a 30‑basis‑point improvement. Lease‑renewal spreads jumped 15.8% and average net rental rates hit a...
Slate Grocery REIT reported completing 1.7 million square feet of total leasing in 2025, underscoring the durability of grocery‑anchored assets amid a shifting macro environment. Renewals were secured at 14.9% above expiring rents while new leases commanded a 34.9% premium to...
Robinhood held its Q4 2025 earnings call on February 10 2026, where CEO Vladimir Tenev and CFO Shiv Verma presented a solid financial rebound. Revenue rose 18% year‑over‑year to $1.2 billion and the net loss narrowed to $150 million, reflecting higher margin contributions from crypto...
The BNY Mellon Global Fixed Income Fund posted a 0.67% return in Q4 2025, lagging its Bloomberg Global Aggregate USD‑Hedged benchmark by 11 basis points. Japanese government bonds surged, pushing the 10‑year yield 42 bp above the 2% threshold for the first...
Goldman Sachs has played on the fringes of Indian dealmaking for years. A big push to take market share from its Wall Street rivals is starting to bear fruit https://t.co/wB4mwz8dvu Anto Anthony @ScanlanDavid
Metrobank reports private wealth investors in the Philippines becoming more selective in 2026, focusing on disciplined, opportunity‑driven allocation. High‑net‑worth clients favor Asian and emerging‑market equities, especially AI‑linked semiconductor stocks, while keeping equities overweight versus fixed income. Fixed‑income exposure is added...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) released its third report on marketing requirements for the cross‑border distribution of funds, adding for the first time detailed statistics on fund notifications. The analysis shows that national marketing rules have remained largely...
The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA) released joint Guidelines on ESG stress testing, offering a unified framework for national banking and insurance supervisors. The document outlines how to embed environmental, social and governance risks into existing stress‑test models...
ESMA has published a set of Principles for Risk‑Based Supervision to create a unified supervisory culture across the EU. The framework outlines how regulators should identify, assess, prioritize and address risks to investor protection, financial stability and market order. By...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched a new Digital Strategy for 2026‑2028 and refreshed its Data Strategy covering 2023‑2028. Both roadmaps aim to accelerate digital transformation, simplify supervisory reporting and harness data‑driven insights across the European System...
On 14 January 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued its second thematic note addressing sustainability‑related claims, specifically ESG integration and ESG exclusions. The guidance highlights the varied interpretations of these terms and warns that ambiguous usage can...
The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to coordinate oversight of critical ICT third‑party service providers under the Digital...
ESMA has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Reserve Bank of India to cooperate on the recognition of Indian central counterparties. The MoU satisfies the Article 25 requirement of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation, allowing the Clearing Corporation of India...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has opened the selection process for its next Chair, a full‑time, independent role based in Paris. The Chair will preside over the Board of Supervisors and Management Board, steering ESMA’s strategic direction amid...
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will host a high‑level conference titled “A new era for EU capital markets” on 21 May 2026 in Paris, marking its 15‑year anniversary. The event gathers senior policymakers, regulators, market‑infrastructure leaders and investors...
Gilead Sciences reported a strong fourth‑quarter, with product sales reaching $7.9 billion, a 5% year‑over‑year increase, and its flagship HIV treatments Biktarvy and Descovy surpassing analyst forecasts. The company projected full‑year sales of $29.6‑$30 billion and EPS of $8.45‑$8.85, staying within consensus...
Goldman Sachs has accelerated its India strategy, injecting roughly $500 million into its local franchise over the past three years. The push has lifted the firm to fourth place in equity offerings and fifth in M&A league tables, overtaking long‑time rivals...
XOMA Royalty Corporation’s 8.375% cumulative preferred (XOMAO) trades at an attractive 8.3% yield, positioning it as a high‑income vehicle. The company added 24 royalty‑related assets in 2025, expanding its cash‑flow base from biotech milestones and licensing fees. Management highlights the...
Bristow Group (VTOL) is positioned for medium‑term growth, capitalising on robust offshore energy demand in Brazil, Africa and the Caribbean. Recent debt refinancing and stronger free‑cash flow have shored up its balance sheet, enabling planned share buybacks and a 2026...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a fresh all‑time high, buoyed by strong earnings from industrial and financial stocks. At the same time, the latest retail sales data showed flat growth, indicating a pause in consumer spending. Despite the...
The article outlines the fundamentals of retirement accounts, covering employer‑sponsored plans like 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and government TSPs, as well as individual IRAs. It highlights key features such as tax advantages, contribution limits, catch‑up contributions, and employer matching, while noting new...
Financial data aggregators consolidate accounts into a single dashboard, using either APIs or screen‑scraping to retrieve information. While APIs provide scoped, credential‑free access, many providers still rely on screen‑scraping, which requires users to share login details. The article highlights privacy,...
Fraudsters are increasingly impersonating FINRA and its executives, using authentic‑looking logos, signatures, and fake email domains to lure victims into advance‑fee scams. The scams typically demand payment for alleged regulatory or tax charges tied to worthless securities or nonexistent inheritances,...
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and related crypto asset sales remain popular but are largely unregulated, often bypassing the disclosure standards required for securities. The guide outlines the spectrum of crypto assets—from native coins and ERC‑20 tokens to NFTs, stablecoins, and...
Investors are urged to review brokerage account statements and trade confirmations each month or quarter to verify accuracy. Unaddressed errors can be presumed authorized, jeopardizing SIPC protection and exposing investors to unauthorized activity. The article outlines when to contact brokers,...
Investors face over 20,000 ticker symbols, making accidental purchases a real risk. Confusing symbols—like Zoom Technologies (ZOOM), Zoom Video Communications (ZM), and Zoom Telephonics (ZMTP)—illustrate why confirming the intended security is essential. Thorough research via the SEC's EDGAR database helps...
Investors, especially those under 35, are turning to social media for investment ideas, with 60% of young investors citing it as an information source. The article presents five practical tips—evaluate sources, keep emotions out of decisions, understand day‑trader, margin and...
In this episode, Peter Lewis discusses Japan’s post‑election economic challenge: reviving growth without reigniting inflation that has already driven staple prices, like rice, to double. He is joined by Richard Harris of Port Shelter Investment Management and Tony Nash of...
Moderna announced that the FDA will not begin a review of its experimental mRNA‑1010 flu vaccine, citing concerns over the trial's comparator design rather than safety or efficacy. The decision triggered a roughly 7% drop in Moderna’s after‑hours share price....
Ford is expected to post its worst quarterly earnings miss in four years, with adjusted EPS forecast at 19 cents and automotive revenue projected at $41.8 billion, a 6.8% decline YoY. The earnings drop represents more than a 50% fall in...
UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced a coordinated crackdown on the misuse of cryptoassets for money‑laundering and sanctions evasion, working alongside law‑enforcement agencies and regulatory partners. The initiative includes heightened monitoring, enforcement actions, and the release of updated...
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released interim findings from its competition review of pure protection insurance, highlighting that while the market functions well for existing policyholders, 58% of adults remain uninsured. The review notes stable premiums, a wide...
The FCA has signed a contract with Etrading Software (ETS) to build a UK bond consolidated tape, aiming to deliver a high‑quality data stream for investors. The tape will improve price discovery, liquidity, and market transparency, supporting the UK’s competitive...
The FCA staged a pop‑up ATM at London Waterloo featuring its mascot Emil the Seal to promote its new Firm Checker tool. The stunt highlighted that around 700,000 adults lost money to investment scams in the past year. The interactive...
The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened a second application window for its AI Live Testing programme, inviting firms to trial AI‑driven services in real‑world market conditions with regulatory oversight and technical support from Advai. The initiative targets companies...
Sheldon Mills announced that the FCA is undertaking a long‑term review of artificial intelligence in retail financial services, with findings to be presented to the board this summer. The review will explore how generative AI, multimodal models and autonomous agents...
UK insurers have reduced the cost of premium finance, saving consumers about £157 million a year. Interest rates on financed insurance dropped an average 4.1 percentage points since 2022, cutting typical motor policy costs by £8 and home policies by £3...
The Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority have unveiled the first cohort of their joint Scale‑up Unit, targeting fast‑growing financial firms. Six institutions – Allica Bank, ClearBank, Monument Bank, Nottingham Building Society, OakNorth Bank and Zopa Bank – will...
The Upper Tribunal upheld the FCA’s ruling that Rangecourt S.A., formerly Banque Havilland, and former executives Edmund Rowland and Vladimir Bolelyy acted without integrity by devising a scheme to devalue the Qatari riyal. The Tribunal confirmed fines of £4 million for...
The FCA and SRA have jointly warned claims‑management firms and law firms handling motor‑finance redress that clients must not be represented by multiple agents on the same claim and should not face excessive termination fees. They cite cases where up...
The Financial Conduct Authority and the Solicitors Regulation Authority have issued a joint warning to claims‑management companies and law firms handling motor‑finance commission claims, demanding verification that consumers are not already represented and prohibiting excessive termination fees. Any exit charge...
The Financial Conduct Authority has placed Advantage Wealth Management Ltd (AWM) under strict restrictions, requiring written FCA consent before any asset disposal or regulated activity. The regulator cited concerns over how customers' investments were shifted into cash, inadequate financial resources,...
Gemini Payments UK Ltd and Gemini Intergalactic UK Ltd announced a complete market exit, closing all UK customer accounts on 6 April 2026. The e‑money arm will operate normally until 4 March, after which accounts shift to withdrawal‑only mode from 5 March. Crypto‑asset services...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released a letter to trade associations announcing KPMG’s appointment to conduct an independent assessment of proposals for a Future Entity that would set standards for UK open‑banking APIs. The assessment will evaluate governance, technical...
