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:
Upgrades Outpace Downgrades in Moody's Special Purpose District Review
Moody's latest special purpose district rating review, launched in December, recorded 158 upgrades, 57 downgrades and 60 confirmations across 164 Texas utility districts, 39 Colorado metro districts and 22 other states. Upgrades were mainly one‑notch and stemmed from stronger financial ratios and lower leverage, while downgrades were driven by high leverage, thin reserves and weaker governance, especially in Colorado. Notable cuts include Flying Horse Metropolitan District 2 and Leyden Rock Metropolitan District, both plunged to junk status, affecting roughly $56 million and $49.7 million of bonds respectively. Analysts note that despite these actions, less than half of the estimated $170 billion of special‑district debt is rated, and large pools of voter‑approved but unissued bonds remain in Texas and Colorado.
Pepkor Eyes 2027 for the Rollout of a New South African Bank
Pepkor Holdings, Africa’s largest clothing and mobile phone retailer, has hired Merwe Scholtz to lead a new banking division, aiming to launch an independent lender by 2027 and possibly as early as next year. The initiative will add deposit services...
In the World of Stripe: Acquisitions, Agentic AI, and Stablecoins
Stripe, now valued at roughly $159 billion after a 74% jump from the prior year, is reportedly in early‑stage talks to acquire PayPal. The potential deal would give Stripe immediate access to PayPal’s 439 million active consumer and merchant accounts and its...
TRACE Reveals Massive Negative Gamma, Expect Intraday Volatility
This is TRACE, the most accurate SPX GEX map you can get. It also updates faster than any GEX map 😏. Remember: +50% of SPX flow is 0DTE and so if you are tracking gamma, you need to see that...
How Is the NHS Managing £355 Billion in Transactions? NHS SBS Talks AI, Oracle Fusion, and the Future of NHS...
The NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) now runs a national finance and procurement platform on Oracle Fusion Cloud, covering 48 NHS organisations and processing roughly $444 bn in transactions each year. The go‑live on 1 October 2025 handled $23.75 bn on day one and...
Biogen Buys Apellis for $5.6B, Adds SYFOVRE Sales‑linked CVR
1/Another mega M&A deal in the BioTech and Pharma sector with the acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals - $APLS by Biogen $BIIB for $41 per share in cash at closing in a $5.6B deal. In addition, Apellis stockholders will also receive...
Eli Lilly Acquires Centessa for $7.8B in Neuro Push
Lilly buying $CNTA Centessa (hub & spoke R&D co) for $6.3B + $1.5B CVR. Another neuro deal. Big congrats to @Medicxi, Index ventures, General Atlantic https://t.co/jkC9dv6d3I @medicx
Wolters Kluwer Survey: UK Accountancy Firms Brace for Delivery Pressure as Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Begins
UK accountancy firms are gearing up for the first mandatory Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax reporting period starting April 2026. A Wolters Kluwer survey shows that 50‑70% of income‑tax clients remain non‑digital, creating pressure on firms to scale...
Key Ratios Every Investor Should Use for Insurance Companies
I just posted a TikTok video talking about the main ratios to assess Insurance Companies. :-)
Management's Costly Deals Hurt Shareholders, Create Profit Opportunities
Screw your shareholders by doing a stupid massively expensive issuance favoring a particular investor. Underperform your asset by 15%. It's unbelievably easy to make money when idiot management do these deals $MTPLF $ONDS $IONQ https://t.co/kMwFGySBfO
The New IRS Crypto Tax Form Can Flag Your Sale Before You Prove What You Actually Owe
The IRS is rolling out Form 1099‑DA for 2025 crypto sales, reporting gross proceeds but often omitting cost‑basis information. A Coinbase‑CoinTracker survey of 3,000 U.S. investors revealed that 61% were unaware of the new reporting rules, and many still misunderstand...
Priscilla Muthoora Thakoor: Supervision of Climate Risks
First Deputy Governor Rajeev Hasnah opened a workshop on climate‑risk supervision, highlighting the Bank of Mauritius’ new guideline effective January 2024 and its first climate‑scenario analysis for banks. He warned that the World Bank’s CCDR projects up to a 10 %...
Citykart Appoints Rohit Goyal as CFO
Citykart, the Indian value‑fashion retailer targeting tier‑II, III and IV cities, announced the appointment of Rohit Goyal as chief financial officer. Goyal brings over 20 years of finance leadership from GlobalBees, OYO Hotels, Rivigo, Bharti Airtel, PepsiCo and LG Electronics. The hire...
Eli Lilly to Buy Centessa for $6.3B to Get Sleep Disorder Drug
Eli Lilly announced a $6.3 billion acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, marking its largest deal in years. The purchase secures Centessa’s orexin‑based insomnia candidate and a pipeline of early‑stage neurological programs. Lilly is channeling cash generated by its GLP‑1 blockbuster drugs into the...
Swiss
Small-GEO satellite builder @Swissto12 forecasts $200M in rev this year, up from $140M im 2025, & positive EBITDA; business case broadening to optical relay, D2D. @esa @Viasat @SES_Satellites.https://t.co/XU73ts10er https://t.co/KkZXw8LjZ3
Smaller Investment Advisers Staring Down June Deadline on Reg S-P
The SEC’s amended Regulation S‑P, effective August 2, 2024, imposes new privacy and breach‑notification rules on investment advisers. Smaller advisers—those managing less than $1.5 billion in assets—must comply by June 3, 2025, while larger firms have until December 3, 2025. The amendments require...
FCA PS26/3: Motor Finance Consumer Redress Scheme
On 30 March 2026 the FCA issued Policy Statement 26/3, establishing final rules for two motor‑finance consumer redress schemes covering loans from April 2007 to November 2024. The schemes split the original 17‑year period into a 2007‑14 “Scheme 1” and a 2014‑24 “Scheme 2”, with...
TED Talk
The article revisits the TED spread— the gap between LIBOR and U.S. Treasury bills—as a historic gauge of inter‑bank trust that foreshadowed the 2007 financial crisis. It argues that today’s equivalent warning signal is the crack spread, particularly the jet‑fuel...
Usage Pricing Leaving Software Vendors Guessing What Lands on the Invoice
Software vendors are losing revenue because legacy billing and ERP systems cannot keep up with usage‑based, AI‑enhanced pricing models. A PwC and m3ter survey of 350 executives shows 44% struggle to measure consumption, and 4‑7% of annual recurring revenue may...
From Brooklyn to $500M Exits: 7 Capital Raising Secrets | Centimillionaire Strategy Talk
Jody Chapnick, a serial entrepreneur who grew up in Brooklyn, outlines the playbook behind his $500 million REIT IPO, a $250 million pharma exit, and multiple insurance roll‑ups. In a Centimillionaire Strategy Talk he breaks down how he raised hundreds of millions...
Explainability, Not AI Strength, Determines FP&A Success
FP&A teams don’t fail with agentic AI because the tech is weak. They fail because they can’t explain what the agent did. In this article, Olha Zotova highlights ownership, governance, and safety as an operating model shift: https://t.co/9FoPnME9ob #fpatrends #aiinfpa https://t.co/qiCRNUzAAv
Motor Finance Compensation to ‘to Fire Starting Gun’ on Banking M&A
The UK Financial Conduct Authority unveiled final rules for its motor‑finance redress scheme, setting the compensation bill at just over £9 billion (approximately $11.5 billion), down from earlier £11 billion estimates. Lloyds Banking Group alone faces a £2 billion ($2.5 billion) liability, while Close Brothers...
From Reactive Insurance To Proactive Investment
Neptune Insurance, the largest private flood insurer in the U.S., went public with a multibillion‑dollar valuation, showcasing that AI‑driven underwriting can make climate adaptation profitable. By blending satellite imagery and forward‑looking climate data, Neptune posted an 18% loss ratio during...
CFO Turnover Rates Quicken
American CFO turnover reached a seven‑year peak in 2025, with 316 new CFOs appointed worldwide—a 10% increase over 2024. Retirements accounted for 60% of departures, while a growing share of CFOs are being elevated to CEO roles, rising to 10.3%...
Magnum Ice Cream Completes Acquisition of Stake in Kwality Wall’s
Magnum Ice Cream Netherlands has finalized the purchase of a 61.9% majority stake in Kwality Wall’s (India) Ltd, acquiring 145.44 crore equity shares from Unilever and other outgoing promoters. The deal, rooted in a Share Purchase Agreement signed on June 25 2025, reclassifies...
On the Journey with 9fin From Day One to Their $1.3 Billion Valuation.
9fin announced a $170 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.3 billion, bringing total capital raised since its 2017 launch to over $250 million. The AI‑native platform tackles the decades‑old data fragmentation in debt capital markets by centralising documents, emails and...
Nanya Raises $2.5 Bln, Signs DRAM Supply Deals with Kioxia and SanDisk
Nanya Technology raised roughly $2.5 billion via share sales and private placements to expand its DRAM production capacity. Kioxia invested T$15.6 billion for a 2 % equity stake and a long‑term DRAM supply agreement, while SanDisk committed T$31 billion and signed a multi‑year supply...
U.S. Soccer Unveils $228 Million National Training Center in Rural Georgia
U.S. Soccer has broken ground on a $228 million national training center in Griffin, Georgia, creating a state‑of‑the‑art facility for elite player development. The project, slated for completion in 2029, signals a major shift in how the United States cultivates soccer...
BGO, Bell Partners Merge to Form $100B U.S. Multifamily Investment Platform
BGO and Bell Partners announced a merger that will create a U.S. multifamily investment platform with more than $100 billion in assets under management. The deal, tied to Sun Life Financial’s acquisition of Bell Partners, is slated to close in the...
AMD's P/E Drops to 76, Triggering First Valuation Reset in Three Years
Advanced Micro Devices' shares slid to $201.99 as its price‑to‑earnings ratio fell to about 76, the first valuation reset since 2023. The move has drawn attention from technical traders and comes amid a $12 million share sale by Cathie Wood’s Ark...
RBI Postpones Bank Capital Market Exposure Rules to July, Easing Financing Pressure
The Reserve Bank of India has deferred the rollout of new capital market exposure directions for banks until July, responding to industry requests. The move provides immediate relief to lenders and is expected to influence equity financing and stock valuations...
Luye Pharma Posts 4.1% Revenue Rise to $883M, Earnings Jump 31% to $87M
Luye Pharma Group Ltd announced full‑year revenue of RMB6.308 bn ($883 m), a 4.1% rise from the prior year, and net earnings of RMB618.75 m ($86.6 m), up 31%. The results highlight robust domestic demand for its generic and specialty drugs amid a recovering...
Costco Launches First Stand‑alone Gasoline Station in California, Expanding Member‑only Fuel Network
Costco opened its first stand‑alone gasoline station, a 40‑pump site in Mission Viejo, California, in June. The move expands the retailer’s fuel footprint beyond warehouse locations, aiming to ease lot congestion and deepen member value while adding a new revenue...
FTI Handles McCormick's Deal for Unilever Foods
FTI Consulting is handling media for McCormick as it merges with Unilever Foods in a $45 billion transaction. The combined entity will generate roughly $20 billion in annual revenue, anchored by Unilever's Knorr and Hellmann’s brands and McCormick's spice portfolio. McCormick shareholders...
Master Drilling Defers Dividend as Iran Crisis Looms Large
Master Drilling reported record US‑dollar revenue of $292 million, a stable $371.4 million order book and a $997.8 million pipeline for the year ending December. Despite these strong fundamentals, the company has postponed its annual dividend, citing uncertainty over the escalating Iran conflict...
HireQuest Posts Q4 2025 Profit, Announces $20M Share Repurchase as Staffing Market Stabilizes
HireQuest (Nasdaq: HQI) posted a $1.6 million net profit for Q4 2025, declared itself debt‑free and approved a $20 million share repurchase. The company also restructured MRINetwork’s executive‑search ownership to align franchise operators with the brand’s mission.
Behind the Headlines on Private Credit
Private credit faces a dual pressure: retail investors are pulling back from non‑traded BDCs while firms push to bring retirement‑age capital into the broader private market. Redemptions and gating have risen, but they represent a modest slice of total AUM...
IHC Invests $1 Billion for Majority Stake in India's Sammaan Capital
International Holding Company (IHC) has received regulatory clearance to buy a 41.5% stake in Sammaan Capital Limited for roughly $1 billion. The deal, executed in stages, will make IHC a promoter with board control, signaling a major private‑equity‑style entry into India's...
These 3 Stocks Just Rewarded Investors With Big Dividend Bumps
Semiconductor leader Micron Technology announced a 30% quarterly dividend increase after its stock jumped more than 300% and revenue surged to $23.9 billion. Home‑goods retailer Williams‑Sonoma lifted its payout 15% to $0.76 per share despite a weakening housing market, while Chinese...
Unilever Nears $15.7bn Deal with McCormick to Create $60bn Food Group
Unilever and McCormick are in advanced negotiations to combine Unilever's food business with the spice maker in a $15.7 bn cash‑plus‑equity deal. The transaction, structured as a Reverse Morris Trust, would give Unilever shareholders about a 65% stake in a new...
Sysco Pauses Buyback as It Seals $29.1 Bn Jetro Acquisition
Sysco Corp. agreed to buy Jetro Restaurant Depot for $29.1 bn, pausing its share buyback to focus on de‑leveraging. The deal triggered an 11.7% drop in Sysco’s stock, while the company reaffirmed FY‑2026 sales and earnings guidance.
RenovoRx Posts $11.2M FY25 Loss, Sets Mid‑2026 Target for Phase III TIGeR‑PaC Enrollment
RenovoRx announced a widened FY25 net loss of $11.2 million, despite its first full year of revenue from the FDA‑cleared RenovoCath device. The company also outlined a timeline to complete enrollment for its Phase III TIGeR‑PaC oncology trial by mid‑2026, a move...
Micron's Q2 FY2026 Revenue Triples to $23.9B on AI Surge
Micron Technology reported fiscal Q2 2026 revenue of $23.9 billion, almost three times the prior year, as AI‑driven data‑center demand lifted DRAM and HBM sales. The company also raised its capex outlook to over $25 billion and signaled continued margin expansion.
S&P Global Flags New Wave of Emerging‑Market Credit Downgrades Amid Middle East Conflict
S&P Global warned that sovereigns in emerging markets are entering a new credit‑downgrade era as the Middle East war pushes commodity prices higher and tightens financing conditions. The agency says the shock threatens fiscal balances in import‑dependent economies such as...
Allbirds Sells for $39 Million, a Fraction of Its $348 Million IPO Raise
Allbirds will sell all assets and intellectual property to American Exchange Group for $39 million, a price far below the $348 million it raised in its 2021 IPO. The deal, pending shareholder approval, sparked a 32‑36% jump in the stock and highlights...
Kin Aims to Upsize Hestia Re 2026-1 Cat Bond to as Much as $335m
Kin Insurance is increasing the size of its Hestia Re 2026-1 catastrophe bond to between $325 million and $335 million, up from the original $300 million target. The bond will be issued in four tranches, providing fully‑collateralized named‑storm reinsurance for...
Galapagos and Gilead Ink $837.5M Framework Deal Tied to Ouro Acquisition
Galapagos NV and Gilead Sciences have signed a binding framework agreement that gives Galapagos a 50% share of the $1.675 billion upfront consideration for Gilead’s acquisition of Ouro Medicines. The deal also locks in a $500 million cash pool for Galapagos, including...
Saronic Closes $1.75B Series D Funding
Saronic Technologies announced closing a $1.75 billion Series D round, valuing the company at $9.25 billion. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from Advent International, Bessemer Venture Partners, DFJ Growth and existing backers such as Andreessen Horowitz. Funds will accelerate...
Canada Announces Semi-Annual Reporting Pilot
Canada’s securities regulators launched a voluntary pilot allowing eligible venture issuers to file semi‑annual reports instead of traditional first‑ and third‑quarter filings, including the Management’s Discussion and Analysis. To qualify, companies must be listed on the TSXV or CSE, have...
Three Headlines, One Message: Radio’s Old Model Is Out of Time
Three major radio companies—Cumulus Media, Beasley Media Group, and Paramount Global—have each taken drastic steps: Cumulus filed a pre‑packaged Chapter 11, Beasley announced a debt refinancing and governance overhaul, and CBS News Radio was shut down after a century of operation....