Today's Finance Pulse
Autodesk to acquire MaintainX for $3.6B, expanding into operations software
Autodesk announced a $3.6 billion purchase of MaintainX, a leader in operational‑phase software for the built environment. The deal extends Autodesk’s portfolio from design and manufacturing into ongoing building operation, creating an end‑to‑end data loop. CEO Andrew Anagnost said the acquisition unlocks a $40 billion total addressable market.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Pemberton Asset Management closes $3.7B fourth vintage fund
Facilitating Investment in Sustainable Palm Oil in Mexico
In 2024 IDB Invest, the private‑sector arm of the Inter‑American Development Bank, closed its first palm‑oil financing deal in Latin America and the Caribbean, partnering with Mexico‑based RSPO‑certified cultivator Prolade. The transaction leveraged blended finance from the Canadian Climate Fund for the Private Sector in the Americas and the Finland‑LAC Climate Blended Finance Fund. Innovative concessional loan structures aligned with Prolade’s cash‑flow and incorporated outcome‑based incentives to ensure climate‑positive results. The deal aims to scale sustainable palm‑oil production and attract further private capital.
Intensive Option Webinar: Modern Portfolio Protection
Lawrence G. McMillan’s intensive webinar on modern portfolio protection outlines how options can be employed to manage downside risk while preserving upside potential. The session covers both surgical tools—such as collars and covered writing—and systematic approaches like index hedging and...
17% to 90% in One Lifetime. Europe Still Thinks It’s 1975
The post argues that the United States has transformed its corporate value architecture, moving from roughly 17% intangible assets in 1975 to over 90% today, while Europe lags behind, resulting in lower productivity and a valuation discount. It introduces the...
MotoNovo Owner Looks to Sell and Exit UK Motor Finance Market
FirstRand, the South‑African owner of MotoNovo, announced it will exit the UK motor‑finance market after the Financial Conduct Authority’s car‑loans redress scheme forced a provision of £750 million (≈$945 million), far exceeding the division’s decade‑long profit of £275 million (≈$346 million). The FCA scheme...
Strategy Made Nearly $2 Billion on Bitcoin This Year but SEC Filing Hides a Far Bigger Number
Strategy, the enterprise‑software firm formerly known as MicroStrategy, touts a $1.7 billion Bitcoin gain for 2024, yet its SEC filing reveals a $14.46 billion unrealized loss on the same holdings. The company now owns roughly 767,000 BTC at an average cost of...
Capri Global Capital to Raise ₹500 Crore Through Debenture Issue
Capri Global Capital announced a ₹500 crore non‑convertible debenture (NCD) issuance, comprising a ₹100 crore base issue and a ₹400 crore green‑shoe option. The NCDs offer tenures of 24, 36, 60 and 120 months with coupons up to 9.5% per annum and will...
KLB Business Valuations & Forensic Accountants to Merge with TowerBrook-Backed EisnerAmper
KLB Business Valuations & Forensic Accountants announced a merger with EisnerAmper, a firm backed by private‑equity sponsor TowerBrook. The transaction is expected to close in May 2026, subject to customary approvals. The combined entity will integrate KLB’s valuation expertise with...
Leading Adaptive Transformation in the Face of AI
Marc Staut, CTO of Boomer Consulting, warns that generative AI is reshaping accounting firms faster than traditional governance can keep pace. He highlights real risks such as data leakage and hallucinated outputs that can compromise client confidentiality and work quality....
Why Reactive Pricing Decisions Create Long-Term Margin Risk
Companies facing sudden cost spikes—tariffs, freight surges, labor hikes—often resort to rapid price changes. While fast reactions may appear decisive, they typically generate hidden margin erosion, inconsistent pricing logic, and customer resistance. High‑performing pricing teams counter this by treating volatility...
Automotive Supplier Magna to Sell Lighting and Rooftop Businesses
Magna International is selling its lighting and rooftop‑systems businesses in three separate deals, splitting North American, South American and Chinese lighting to one investor and European lighting plus rooftop systems to another. The two units generated about $1.1 billion in 2025...
Launching: The CCO Retaliation Survey
Radical Compliance, together with Case IQ and Compliance Week, has launched the first comprehensive survey targeting chief compliance officers (CCOs) who have faced retaliation for raising concerns. The 20‑question, five‑minute questionnaire seeks to quantify incidents, explore gender differences, and capture...
Maximising Liquidity and Cash Visibility: Strategies for Banks and NBFIs
Bottomline and Strategic Treasurer hosted a session on liquidity and cash visibility, revealing that only 34% of banks and NBFIs have a single consolidated cash view. While 45% have introduced some automation, it falls short of enabling real‑time decision making,...
Gold’s Dip Tied to Rising Yields, Not Inflation Fears
A guest on @business questioned this morning why anyone would buy gold when you can buy inflation protected securities yielding 2.7%. Excellent question. A few answers: First, maybe I misheard him, but TIPS yields are currently just a tad under 2%...
VIDEO – Energy Storage Summit 2026: What Is the Outlook for BESS Capex This Year?
At the Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London, a panel of industry leaders examined the outlook for battery‑energy‑storage‑system (BESS) capital expenditures this year. The discussion focused on how regulatory changes, supply‑chain constraints and market dynamics are driving cost pressures on...
M&A Spree Sees Premiums up to 80%
Today's M&A and SPAC notes $GTWO.to to be acquired by $GMIN.to for 0.212x shares + CVR + Spinco, 79.7% premium, $3.0 billion $WSR to be acquired by $ARES for $19.00 cash per share, 26.5% premium, $1.7 billion $ASRT to be acquired by Garda...
GAIL India to Borrow ₹5,000-6,000 Crore in Financial Year 2027
GAIL (India) announced it will raise between ₹5,000 crore and ₹6,000 crore (approximately $539‑$647 million) in fiscal 2027 to fund expansion projects, chiefly to boost utilization at its Dabhol LNG import terminal. The company has also secured three spot LNG cargoes to offset...
Oak Park CFO Reflects on a Career in Public-Sector Finance
Kevin Bueso, newly appointed CFO of Oak Park, Illinois, discusses the tightening fiscal margins facing local governments and the need for smarter, technology‑driven finance. He warns that rising costs, aging infrastructure, and pension pressures are creating structural deficits across municipalities. Bueso...
Accounting Firms Need New Metrics for an Old Model
Public accounting’s century‑old LUMBR scorecard—leverage, utilization, margin, billing rate and realization—was built for a linear, hour‑based model. Today, automation, AI, talent scarcity and client demand for insight render those metrics insufficient. The article proposes a new scorecard centered on value...
CB&I All Done with Acquisition of Petrofac’s Asset Solutions Business
CB&I, a designer and builder of storage facilities, completed the acquisition of Petrofac’s Asset Solutions business, adding roughly 3,000 employees and expanding into operations, maintenance, and de‑commissioning services. The transaction was structured on a debt‑free, cash‑free basis, with proceeds directed...
Your AI Budget Is About to Exceed Payroll 🤖
The post warns that corporate AI token spend is outpacing traditional payroll growth, turning large language models into a de‑facto employee. CEOs still view AI as a simple tool, but the author argues it functions as a variable‑cost workforce multiplier....
Federal Judge Signals Possible Block of Nexstar’s $6.2 Billion Tegna Acquisition
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley indicated he will issue a preliminary injunction to stop Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna. The move follows a lawsuit by California and seven other states alleging the merger would concentrate...
Acceler8 Eyes £600 M All‑Share Takeover of Intuitive Investments, IIG
Acceler8 Ventures plc and Intuitive Investments Group have reached an agreement in principle on an all‑share offer for Intuitive Investments Group (IIG). The deal values IIG’s fully‑diluted share capital at roughly £600 million (≈$760 million) and proposes an exchange ratio of 2.6052...
Odyssey Marine Shares Jump 90% on $1 B American Ocean Minerals Merger
Odyssey Marine Exploration (OMEX) shares surged 90.62% to $1.58 after the company agreed to merge with American Ocean Minerals Corp. in an all‑stock transaction valuing the combined entity at roughly $1 billion. The deal includes a $150 million private‑placement, a $75 million pre‑public...
Arxis IPO Targets Up to $1.06 Billion, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Lead Underwriting
Arxis Inc., an Arcline Investment Management portfolio company, announced an IPO of 37.7 million shares priced between $25 and $28. The offering, led by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Jefferies, could raise as much as $1.06 billion and will list on Nasdaq...
Paramount President Jeff Shell Resigns Amid Legal Fight as $111B Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Looms
Paramount Global President Jeff Shell quit his role and board seat to focus on a legal dispute with gambler R.J. Cipriani, just as the media giant finalizes a $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The resignation adds uncertainty to a...
Broker’s Call: Aptus Value, Aadhar Housing Fin (Outperform)
Bernstein reiterates Outperform ratings on Aptus Value Housing Finance and Aadhar Housing Finance. Aptus posted 25% YoY EPS growth, a 7.3‑7.4% return on assets and aims for ₹25,000 cr (≈$3.0 bn) AUM by FY29 while planning 60‑70 new branches. Aadhar’s AUM rose...
BlackBerry Beats Q4 2025 Guidance on Revenue and EPS, Powered by QNX Surge
BlackBerry reported Q4 2025 revenue of $141.7 million and adjusted EPS of $0.03, both above the top end of its guidance. The outperformance was driven by the QNX division, which posted $65.8 million in revenue and maintained an 83% gross margin. The...
Greg Abel Becomes Berkshire CEO, Puts $46 B Into Japan as Top Investment Idea
Greg Abel assumed the chief executive role at Berkshire Hathaway on Dec. 31, 2025, and immediately earmarked $46 billion of the conglomerate’s $316 billion investment portfolio for Japanese trading houses and insurers. The move marks the largest single‑region allocation in Berkshire’s history and...
Most Stocks Lose 85% and Half Never Recover
Michael Mauboussin on drawdowns "The median drawdown for the 6,500 stocks in our sample from 1985-2024 was 85 percent and took 2.5 years from peak to trough. More than one-half of all stocks never recover to their prior highs."
Iran‑U.S. Ceasefire Sends Oil 16% Lower, Spurs Stock Rally, Dollar Hits 4‑Week Low
President Donald Trump's announcement of a two‑week ceasefire with Iran sent U.S. crude down 16.4% to $94.41 a barrel, sparked a 2.5% jump in the S&P 500, and drove the dollar to its lowest level in four weeks. Traders now...
U.S.–Iran Ceasefire Triggers Global Bond Rally, 10‑Year Yields Drop 8 Bps
The announcement of a two‑week ceasefire between the United States and Iran sent U.S. 10‑year Treasury yields down 8 basis points to 4.23% and sparked a broad rally in sovereign bonds worldwide. The move erased a sizable risk premium on...
Phunware Holds $100M Cash on $38M Market Cap
Any idea what is going on with Phunware $PHUN? $100m net cash on a market cap of roughly $38m, a result of its comfi ATM usage last year. Over 80% of its total assets is just cash. No idea (yet) what...
Why the New NHS Financial Year Must Fund Stability Today and Digital Maturity for Tomorrow
The NHS’s 2026/27 budget must adopt a dual‑track strategy that safeguards core clinical services while ring‑fencing funds for digital transformation. Richard Oswald of Exponential‑e argues that electronic records, interoperable platforms and secure infrastructure are no longer optional but essential for...
Side Letter: Diversification Drive
The latest side‑letter trends show limited partners (LPs) in the Asia‑Pacific region increasing allocations to diversify away from traditional European and North American exposures. Tiered‑carry provisions are creating friction in continuation fund deals, as managers and LPs clash over performance...
DOWNLOAD: Bright Spots Emerge in Q1 PE Fundraising
Nearly half of private‑equity funds that closed in Q1 2026 met their fundraising targets, the highest proportion in at least five years. The 48% hit rate signals a rebound after a period of subdued capital raising driven by higher rates...
CoreWeave Tapping Junk Debt Market After Meta AI Computing Deal
CoreWeave is issuing $1.25 billion of junk‑bond notes due 2031 after expanding its AI compute agreement with Meta Platforms. The private placement will fund general corporate purposes and refinance existing debt. The move highlights CoreWeave’s confidence in scaling AI‑focused cloud services...
CoreWeave Announces $21 Billion AI Cloud Deal with Meta
CoreWeave announced an expanded agreement to provide Meta Platforms with $21 billion in AI‑focused cloud capacity, extending the partnership through December 2032. To fund the deal, CoreWeave will issue $3 billion of convertible senior notes due 2032, with an option for investors to...
Stone Ridge Mutual Cat Bond and ILS Fund Assets Near $6.5bn, Highest Since Late 2018
Stone Ridge Asset Management reported that assets under management across its mutual catastrophe bond, insurance‑linked securities (ILS) and reinsurance fund strategies have climbed to roughly $6.5 billion, the highest level since late 2018. The High‑Yield Reinsurance Risk Premium Fund grew to...
The IPO Buzz: Drone Maker Aevex (AVEX Proposed) Reveals Terms for $312 Million IPO
Aevex Corp., a California‑based drone and unmanned aerial system maker, filed to raise $312 million by offering 16 million shares at $18‑$21 each, with a midpoint price of $19.50 valuing the firm at about $2.18 billion. The IPO will list on the New...
Deal Roundup: Francisco Partners Agrees Blackline Take Private at up to $850m Valuation, Agilitas to Sell Integris Composites
Francisco Partners agreed to take private Blackline Safety Corp for up to $850 million, a 34% premium to its Toronto closing price. Blackline, a maker of wearable gas‑detection devices and cloud‑connected analytics, has logged more than eight million emergency alerts. Agilitas...
AI Investment Among Top Strategic Priorities for CFOs: Survey
A Coupa‑commissioned survey of 600 CFOs across eight countries shows AI investment has vaulted to the second‑most important strategic priority for 2026, trailing only supplier relationship building. CFOs cite AI as a driver of profitability, growth, and risk mitigation, while...
CDL Sets up S$2 Billion Multicurrency Perpetual Securities Issuance Programme
City Developments Ltd (CDL) announced a S$2 billion (~$1.48 billion USD) multicurrency perpetual securities issuance programme. The net proceeds will fund general working capital, corporate funding for CDL and its subsidiaries, and refinance existing borrowings. The perpetual securities carry no fixed maturity,...
Meta Ties Exec Bonuses to $9 Trillion Valuation Goal
"Under the program, Meta executives would only realize the full value of their options if the company hits a market capitalization of more than $9 trillion by 2031 - an increase of 500% from its current $1.5 trillion." https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-targets-9-trillion-valuation-with-new-executive-incentive-program-64460862?msockid=1c302391d69563690da33083d70562fb
Treasury Yields Surge Above 4.9% Amid CPI, Auction Pressure
Between tomorrow's CPI and today’s 30-year auction, Treasuries are feeling the heat. That ceasefire euphoria has already faded - 30s are back north of 4.90%
THOR Financial Technologies Launches Managed Risk Dynamic ETF (THMR)
THOR Financial Technologies announced the launch of the THOR Managed Risk Dynamic ETF (THMR), an actively managed fund that prioritizes downside protection over market timing. The ETF uses a rules‑based, multi‑strategy framework that shifts between equities, fixed income, commodities and...
Treasury Bill Rollovers & Debt Swaps Overhyped on FinTwit
Two topics that get 100x more airtime than they deserve on fintwit: 1) Trillions in Tbills constantly maturing and getting bought again by the same balance sheets that hold them now. 2) The Treasury issuing some on-the-run debt to buy back some...
Corient Expands UHNW Footprint with $5.6B Vivaldi Acquisition
Corient continues its buying spree in the ultra-high-net-worth space, announcing the acquisition of another RIA, Vivaldi Capital ($5.6 billion AUM) They've been on a roll the past year https://t.co/xy8jLFknDZ
State Street Expands Partnership with Thornburg to Support New ETF Share Classes
State Street announced an expanded partnership with Thornburg Investment Management, adding end‑to‑end servicing for Thornburg’s new ETF share classes. Thornburg, which oversees roughly $57 billion in assets, first teamed with State Street for active ETFs in January 2025 and now seeks...
Banks Are Treading Carefully on Stablecoins Despite Market Growth, S&P Global Says
U.S. banks are proceeding cautiously with stablecoins despite the market swelling past $300 billion, according to S&P Global. Only 7% of smaller institutions are developing frameworks and none are running pilots, highlighting a wait‑and‑see posture. Larger banks may explore issuing tokenized...
Baron Capital Launches Baron Emerging Markets Select ETF
Baron Capital announced the launch of the Baron Emerging Markets Select ETF (BCEM), an actively managed fund that targets high‑quality growth companies across emerging markets. The ETF is overseen by veteran manager Michael Kass, who has guided the firm’s $3.9 billion...