Today's Finance Pulse
Anthropic secures $65B round, valuation hits $965B
Anthropic announced a $65 billion Series H financing that pushes its post‑money valuation to $965 billion, overtaking OpenAI as the world’s most valuable AI startup. The capital surge reflects strong enterprise demand for its Claude chatbot and reshapes the AI sector ahead of upcoming high‑profile IPOs.
Also developing:
Pat McGrath Labs Bankruptcy Exit Plan Approved
Pat McGrath Labs will emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a U.S. judge approved a refinancing plan on April 17. Investment firm GDA Luma committed an additional $35 million, bringing its total backing to $65 million and creating a new holding company for the brand. Founder Dame Pat McGrath will transfer equity to GDA Luma but remain Chief Creative Officer, preserving her creative influence while gaining a reinforced balance sheet.
ABF to Split Food Assets From Retail Arm Primark
Associated British Foods (ABF) announced it will de‑merge its food operations from its fast‑fashion retailer Primark, creating two separately listed companies by the end of 2027. The food arm, FoodCo, generates about $13.2 billion in revenue and employs over 55,000 people,...
DFI Retail Group Q1 Underlying Profit From Continuing Businesses up 49%
DFI Retail Group reported a 49% year‑on‑year jump in underlying profit from continuing operations in Q1 2026, driven by lower financing costs and disciplined cost control. Operating profit from the same segment rose 12% as the retailer trimmed expenses and...
Oradea Hosts High-Level Summit: Prominent Leaders From Across Central and Eastern Europe Will Take the Stage in Romania
The 5th UNCHAIN Festival will take place June 17‑18, 2026 at Oradea Fortress in Romania, convening more than 800 senior finance leaders from over 40 countries. Former Polish Prime Minister and Finance Minister Marek Belka will deliver the keynote address, underscoring...
SEC Risk-Disclosure Rule Changes Seem Certain & Are Certainly Troubling
SEC Chairman Paul Atkins is poised to overhaul Regulation S‑K risk‑factor disclosures, aiming to strip out immaterial language and possibly introduce a universal set of generic risks. The agency has opened a public comment period that closed in mid‑April and...
Vicor Corporation Reports Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2026
Vicor Corporation posted first‑quarter 2026 results showing product and royalty revenue of $113 million, a 20.2% year‑over‑year increase and a 5.3% sequential rise. Gross margin expanded to 55.2% of revenue, up from 47.2% a year earlier, while net income surged to...
Guardforce AI Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results
Guardforce AI reported an 8.0% revenue increase to $35.2 million for 2025, highlighted by a 15.3% jump in its AI, Robotics‑as‑a‑Service (RaaS) and Smart Solutions segment. The company narrowed its net loss to $5.29 million, improving EBITDA to a three‑year low of...
Questor Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
Questor Technology Inc. reported FY 2025 revenue of $6.8 million CAD (≈ $5.0 million USD), down from $4.5 million CAD in 2024, with a full‑year loss of $1.6 million CAD (≈ $1.2 million USD). Adjusted EBITDA turned negative, showing a $0.3 million CAD (≈ $0.24 million USD) loss for the year, while Q4 revenue...
Workspace Group Warns of ‘Substantial Step Down’ in Profit
Workspace Group warned that full‑year 2026‑27 trading profit will see a substantial step down, driven by lower starting rents, higher debt costs, asset disposals and rising operating expenses. Rent per square foot slipped 1.3% to £41.96 ($53) while total rent...
Delevering With Purpose
Fixed Income Beacon’s April investment brief spotlights a high‑yield energy bond that could deliver an above‑market coupon for an extra year. If the bond is called in summer 2027, investors would see a 6.2% annualized return and a spread of...
Free Forecast Model Puts Headcount at Core, Shows Detailed Variance
I'm giving away my full close to forecast model. Worth $129. Register for my live training on April 23rd and it's yours 👉 https://t.co/iFBeytIbFx Most financial models have a blind spot where headcount should be. They forecast revenue beautifully. They project cash flow cleanly. But...
Shareholders Will Tear Us Apart Again
Omnicom announced it has doubled its cost‑synergy target, sending its shares up 13%. At the same time, WPP disclosed a 7,000‑person workforce reduction, underscoring a wave of cost‑cutting across the ad agency sector. Ian Whittaker argues that these moves reflect...
Centennial Wealth Advisory Boosts FTGS Stake by $3 Million, Now 1.79% of 13F AUM
Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC increased its holding in the First Trust Growth Strength ETF by 91,927 shares, adding roughly $2.97 million to its portfolio and pushing the fund to 1.79% of its 13F assets. The move highlights a growing preference among...
Uber (UBER) Now Owns 11.5% of Lucid (LCID): It Gets Interesting
Uber Technologies has become a major shareholder of Lucid Group, holding 37.7 million Class A shares – an 11.5% stake – after a total $500 million investment. The funding is tied to an expanded robotaxi commitment that grew from 20,000 to at least...
Blackstone‑Backed Jersey Mike's Files Confidential IPO Targeting $1 Billion at $12 B Valuation
Jersey Mike's, the second‑largest U.S. hoagie chain, filed a confidential IPO seeking to raise about $1 billion at a $12 billion valuation. The move follows Blackstone’s 2024 $8 billion acquisition and signals a high‑profile private‑equity exit in the restaurant sector.
Long Term ‘Sense’ in Splitting Primark From ABF Grocery Unit, Say Experts
Experts argue that separating Primark from Associated British Foods' grocery division makes long‑term strategic sense. Primark operates 486 stores in 19 markets, generating roughly £9.5 billion (about $12 billion) in annual sales and employing over 83,000 people. The grocery arm, by contrast,...
Costco Hikes Quarterly Dividend 13% to $1.47 per Share, Underscoring Strong Cash Flow
Costco's board approved a jump in its quarterly cash dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share, a 13.4% rise effective May 15, 2026. The move reflects the warehouse giant's confidence in its membership‑driven cash flow and aims to reward long‑term...
Hillhouse‑Backed Ascentium Acquires Dezan Shira to Boost China Outbound Services
Ascentium, the Hillhouse‑backed business‑services platform, announced the acquisition of Dezan Shira & Associates, adding mainland Chinese offices and doubling its Vietnam capacity. The deal comes as Chinese outbound investment climbs to $174 bn, a 7% rise year‑over‑year, and reflects a broader...
Blue Owl to Acquire Sila Realty Trust for $2.4 Billion in Net‑Lease Healthcare Deal
Blue Owl Capital is set to buy Sila Realty Trust in a $2.4 billion transaction, adding a portfolio of 137 healthcare net‑lease properties to its real‑estate holdings. The deal, advised by Newmark, highlights growing investor appetite for stable, income‑generating assets in...
QXO to Acquire TopBuild in $17 B Cash‑and‑Stock Deal, Creating Construction‑Products Giant
QXO agreed to buy TopBuild for roughly $17 billion in a cash‑and‑stock transaction that values TopBuild at $505 per share, a near‑20% premium. The deal propels QXO to the top of several building‑products categories but also triggers investor worries about dilution...
EM Lens: Identifying Alpha Opportunities in EM Fixed Income
Creditors are re‑entering emerging‑market (EM) fixed income as technical supply‑demand dynamics, positive rating momentum, and wide real‑yield differentials create a supportive backdrop. Ninety‑One portfolio manager Thys Louw and Bloomberg Intelligence strategist Damian Sassower discuss how these factors generate alpha in...
Goodfood Reports Second Quarter of 2026 Results and Advances Strategic Reset Focused on Cash Generation and Core Economics
Goodfood Market Corp. reported a challenging Q2 2026, with net sales of C$23 million (≈$17 million USD) and a net loss of C$7 million (≈$5.2 million USD). A temporary CFIA license suspension and weaker demand drove a 12‑point drop in gross margin to 30.6%...
Anthropic Overhauls Leadership as IPO Looms, Targeting $630B Valuation
Anthropic announced a sweeping leadership restructuring, promoting co-founder Mike Krieger to co‑lead its new Anthropic Labs and appointing Ami Vora as chief product officer, as the AI startup readies for a potential October 2026 IPO that could fetch a $630 billion...
GraniteShares Files for 3x Long and Short Daily XRP ETFs, Targeting April 23 Launch
GraniteShares submitted a Form N‑1A filing on April 15 to launch a 3‑times‑leveraged long and a 3‑times‑leveraged short daily XRP ETF, with a targeted effective date of April 23. The funds will use swaps, futures and options to deliver 300%...
SpaceX Mulls $75 B Capital Raise Ahead of Potential IPO, Sparking Investment‑Banking Frenzy
SpaceX is reportedly weighing a private capital raise of up to $75 billion, a move that could precede an initial public offering. The fund‑raising would support Starship development and Starlink expansion, while offering investment banks a chance to underwrite one of...
HKEX Appoints Head of Debt Market Development
Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has named Lawrence Lau as managing director and head of debt market development. Lau most recently served as managing director and head of debt capital markets at Bank of China International. The move is part...
Surf Air Mobility Raises $30M, Cuts 2026 EBITDA Loss Guidance by 40%
Surf Air Mobility’s CEO and co‑founder disclosed a $30 million capital infusion and a revised 2026 adjusted EBITDA loss range of $30‑$25 million, a roughly 40% improvement over prior guidance. The letter also highlighted the rollout of the AI‑powered SurfOS platform and...
Ozow & Lula Partner to Expand Access to Business Funding for SMEs
Ozow has teamed up with South African fintech Lula to embed a digital funding channel directly into its merchant platform. The co‑branded interface lets eligible SMEs apply for loans that Lula assesses and disburses, while Ozow leverages its payments data...
Israeli Shekel Breaks NIS 3 per Dollar, Hitting 30‑Year Low
The Israeli shekel slipped below 3 new shekels per U.S. dollar, its lowest level since 1995 and a three‑decade trough. Analysts attribute the move to a surge of foreign‑currency inflows, including a $32 billion sale of cybersecurity firm Wiz to Google,...
Sapporo Sells Stone Brewing to Firestone Walker, Duvel USA
M&A news: Sapporo is selling Stone Brewing to Firestone Walker + Duvel USA. Link to the story on @Brewbound in the comment below 👇 https://t.co/FNwtffMViK
RBI Prematurely Redeems 2020‑21 Sovereign Gold Bonds, Investors See 200% Gains
The Reserve Bank of India announced on April 20 that holders of the 2020‑21 Series‑VII Sovereign Gold Bonds can redeem early, receiving ₹15,254 per unit—about $184—up from the original ₹5,051 issue price of $61. The move translates to a more...
USA Rare Earth Surges 15% After $2.8 Billion Serra Verde Acquisition
USA Rare Earth Inc. announced a $2.8 billion cash‑and‑stock deal to acquire Brazil’s Serra Verde Group, sending its Nasdaq‑listed shares up more than 15% to $22.97. The transaction adds a rare‑earth mine and processing plant that can produce 6,400 metric tons of...
Private Credit’s Next Bet: Intellectual Property
Private credit is turning to asset‑based finance (ABF), using intellectual property (IP) as collateral, as the sector’s assets under management are projected to surpass $2 trillion this year and approach $4 trillion by 2030. Valuing illiquid IP—such as data sets, software, patents,...
CFO Corner: Iker Etxezarreta Fraile, Faes Farma
CFO Iker Etxezarreta outlines Faes Farma’s push for tighter governance, transparent finance communication, and a strategic FP&A role that links past performance to future decisions. He emphasizes disciplined capital allocation and liquidity management to fund growth while keeping debt in...
Kailera Therapeutics Raises $625 Million in Record Biotech IPO
Kailera Therapeutics, a RTW Bio portfolio company, completed a $625 million Nasdaq IPO on April 17, upsizing from an initial $500 million target and sending its shares soaring 62.5% on debut. The offering set a new record for biotech IPO proceeds and...
GitLab Co‑Founder Sytse Sijbrandij Sells $2.4 M of Shares, Cutting Direct Class A Stake to Zero
GitLab executive chair Sytse Sijbrandij sold 116,200 Class A shares for about $2.41 million on April 15, 2026, eliminating his direct Class A ownership. The transaction, executed via a conversion of Class B stock, leaves him with a 15.1 million‑share Class B position, preserving voting power while...
Nigerian Banks Will Now Verify Fraud-Linked Mobile Numbers Under New CBN–NCC Agreement
Nigeria’s Central Bank and the Nigerian Communications Commission signed a memorandum of understanding that gives banks real‑time access to telecom data through the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS). The system lets financial institutions verify whether a mobile number linked...
Cerebras Systems Files Nasdaq IPO, Adding a Public Contender to AI Chip Market
Cerebras Systems, the Silicon Valley AI chipmaker behind wafer‑scale processors, filed a registration statement with the SEC to list on Nasdaq under the ticker CBRS. The move follows a 2025 revenue surge to $510 million and a $20 billion investment from OpenAI,...
UnitedHealth Group Profits Eclipse $6 Billion As Medical Costs Ease
UnitedHealth Group lifted its full‑year 2026 earnings outlook to more than $17.35 per share after reporting first‑quarter net income of $6.3 billion. The medical loss ratio improved to 83.9% from 84.8% a year earlier, reflecting tighter cost management and favorable reserve...
Float Launches Agentic AI Solution for Corporate Credit Cards
Float Financial introduced Float Intelligence, an agentic AI layer that automatically assigns general‑ledger and Canadian tax codes to corporate‑card transactions. The feature, now live for customers on select service tiers, achieved over 90% accuracy in beta testing with more than...
Workday Preps AI Tool Aimed at Fraud, Error Detection in Finance
Workday is set to roll out its Financial Test Suite, an agentic AI tool that continuously scans financial transactions for fraud, duplicate invoices, and other anomalies. Currently in a limited pilot, the solution is slated for general availability in the...
World’s Best Investment Banks 2026: Good Times Fizzle Away
Global M&A activity that surged past $5 trillion in 2025 stalled sharply in Q1 2026, with Dealogic reporting a 28% drop to $1.08 bn and 7,740 deals. The slowdown follows the US‑Israel‑Iran conflict that sent crude oil futures up 73% YTD, raising...
Top Agentic AI Use Cases For AP Automation In 2026
Forrester’s 2026 report spotlights agentic AI—goal‑driven, supervised‑autonomous agents—reshaping accounts payable automation. The study maps six high‑impact use‑case categories, from lights‑out invoice capture to continuous fraud monitoring, and grades their adoption maturity. It argues that AP teams are moving from transaction...
Focus on Risk‑return, Not Fancy Financial Engineering
Financial engineering does not make a good product Risk always comes back It’s boring to say but this is why you focus on risk vs return and create allocations
US Regulators Move to Scale Back Biden-Era Private Fund Reporting Rules
U.S. regulators the SEC and CFTC have unveiled a joint proposal to scale back the Biden‑era private‑fund reporting framework. The new rules raise the asset thresholds for mandatory disclosure, moving the small‑adviser cutoff from $150 million to $1 billion and the large‑hedge‑fund...
UK Mid-Market Buy-and-Build Activity Drops 61% in 2025 After 2024 Peak
UK private‑equity and venture‑capital platforms saw bolt‑on acquisitions plunge 61% in 2025, falling from a record 114 deals in 2024 to roughly 44 deals. The slowdown was most pronounced in technology, insurance and education, while business services, financial services and...
SC Leads Malaysia-China Capital Market Push
Malaysia’s Securities Commission led a high‑level delegation to China under its Capital Market Masterplan 2026‑2030, aiming to deepen bilateral investment ties and attract Chinese institutional investors. The team met regulators including the China Securities Regulatory Commission and the State Administration...
‘Largest Singapore Commercial S-Reit Proxy’: Analysts Say Buy CICT Shares After Paragon Acquisition
CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) announced a S$3.9 billion (~$2.9 billion) acquisition of the luxury Paragon mall, cementing its status as the largest Singapore commercial S‑REIT proxy. The deal is financed by the recent S$2.48 billion (~$1.8 billion) sale of Asia Square Tower 2 and...
ISDA Responds to EC on Competitiveness of EU Banking Sector
On April 17, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) submitted a detailed response to the European Commission’s consultation on enhancing the competitiveness of the EU banking sector. The filing emphasizes the critical role of trading‑book capital rules, arguing that...
Policy Paper: Policy Note: Draft Statutory Instrument Amending the Cryptoasset Regulations
The UK Treasury published a policy note and draft statutory instrument to amend the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026. The proposed changes aim to provide clearer rules for stable‑coin payment services, eliminate barriers for additional crypto use...