Today's Finance Pulse
SpaceX’s record‑breaking IPO targets $75 billion raise, pushes valuation past $1.7 trillion
SpaceX filed for an IPO that could raise at least $50 billion and value the company above $1 trillion. The June 12 offering priced shares at $135, raising $75 billion and valuing the rocket maker at roughly $1.77 trillion. Analysts say the float highlights strong investor appetite for AI‑linked aerospace assets.
Also developing:
The Auditor as an Evangelist for AI
Internal auditors are expanding beyond traditional assurance to become AI evangelists, guiding organizations on responsible AI deployment. The article highlights how auditors historically added value by introducing tools and best practices, and now they can apply the same mindset to AI governance. By integrating AI oversight with existing control frameworks like SOX, auditors can streamline testing and uncover efficiency gains. Ultimately, auditors can help management ask the right questions, establish policies, and monitor AI performance to mitigate risk and drive better‑run businesses.
Stop Chasing ROAS; Prioritize Profit‑driven Metrics
Your 3:1 ROAS looks great on the dashboard, but your P&L tells a different story. I've watched brands celebrate hitting ROAS targets even as their bank accounts BLEED out. What ROAS measures is revenue, not profit. It’s different in every situation. EX...
IRS Roundup- January 21 – February 9, 2026
The IRS issued several key updates between Jan 21 and Feb 9, 2026, including Notice 2026‑9 extending the deadline for IRA and pension plan amendments to Dec 31 2027, and Fact Sheet 2026‑2 outlining the rollout of fully electronic federal payments under Executive Order 14247. It opened applications...
January Jobs Spark Rate‑cut Doubts Despite Solid Hires
Analytically, the January U.S. jobs report supports competing views. The market reaction, however, was clear: traders have sharply dialed back expectations for a June rate cut. The big beat on January job creation, paired with a dip in the unemployment rate...
Global Payout Growth Outpaces US, Driving Valuations
And it’s not just global earnings that have been showing momentum. Payouts (dividends + buybacks) have been advancing as well, as companies near and far have become more shareholder savvy. The growth rate of payouts has been the primary driver...
Big Bang Vs. Phased ERP Implementation: Which Is Best?
Choosing between a big‑bang and a phased ERP implementation is a pivotal decision for C‑suite leaders. A big‑bang rollout delivers the entire system at once, eliminating interim integrations but carries high risk of cost overruns and delayed user feedback. A...
CFO Offices Are Getting to Grips with the Idea that AI Isn't that Simple for Their Role, but Interest Isn't...
BlackLine CEO Owen Ryan says CFOs remain wary of AI that functions as a black box, insisting on accuracy, transparency, auditability and security. The company is shifting from simple automation to an AI‑driven orchestration built on three pillars—data, context and...
Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity: Modernizing Retail Finance to Navigate Inflation, Interest Rates and Currency Volatility
Retail finance leaders are grappling with volatile interest rates, persistent inflation, and a weakening dollar, which together strain cash flow and margin stability. To survive, finance teams must shift from reactive bookkeeping to proactive portfolio‑management tactics, using scenario modeling and...
Credit Crunch: Investor Survey 1Q - Fed, Earnings, Tech Supply
In this episode, Mahesh Bhimalingam of Bloomberg Intelligence and Ashwin Palta of BNY Investments discuss the Bloomberg Intelligence 1Q26 Investor Survey, highlighting the continued resilience of credit and high‑yield markets despite recent tariff shocks and rate volatility. They examine why...
Judge Backs Illinois Law on Card Fees
A federal judge upheld Illinois' Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which bans card‑swipe interchange fees on sales tax and gratuities, finding that the National Bank Act does not preempt the state law. The ruling, issued by Judge Virginia Kendall, also struck...
Saba Recommends Share Tender Offer if Its Edinburgh Worldwide Bid Is Successful
Saba Capital Management has urged shareholders of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (EWIT) to accept a 100% cash exit at 99% of net asset value if its board slate wins the upcoming AGM. The activist hedge fund, which has unsuccessfully challenged...
SaaS Must Evolve Into AI‑Powered Revenue Workflow Platforms
Is the SaaSpocalypse just a market correction or a crisis of defensibility? The pillars and moats we’ve leaned on for a decade are eroding in real-time: Systems of Action are no longer defensible. When anyone can use LLM + AI...
Strong NFP Spurs Fed Pause, Dollar Gains, Market Pullback
NFP BREAKDOWN : Unemployment rate dropped to 4.3% while headline number crushed the expectations. In simple words , this was a much solid NFP all across the board. FED pause will continue. Profit taking in Gold , SPX , NASDAQ on reduced rate cut...
Bitcoin’s Exposure To Corporate Balance Sheets
The episode examines how corporate treasuries are influencing Bitcoin's market dynamics amid a prolonged bear phase marked by steady ETF outflows. It highlights that while institutional ETFs are withdrawing capital, public companies now hold significant Bitcoin on their balance sheets,...
US Adds 130k Jobs, Unemployment Slips to 4.3%
NEW US JOBS DATA: Non-farm Payrolls: +130k Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (-0.1%) Prime Age (25-54) Employment-Population Ratio: 80.9% (+0.2%) Average Hourly Earnings: +0.4% Annual Benchmark Revisions: -898k
Stripe Valuation Nears $140B in Latest Tender Offer, Company Maintains Private Status
Stripe is arranging a secondary tender offer that could value the payments firm at about $140 billion, up from roughly $107 billion a year earlier. The company reiterated it has no immediate plans for an IPO, preferring private‑market liquidity for employees and...
Business Professionals Need Data Analysis Skills, Not Analyst Titles
I teach professionals data analysis. Not to be Data Analysts. Why? Because most analyses are conducted by business professionals, not IT. And with Copilot in Excel, that's only going to increase, not decrease.
Promoters May Offload Up to 3% of Netweb Technologies
#BlockDeal | Sources say that promoters likely to sell up to 3% stake in #NetwebTechnologies via block deals
Delaware Case Applying Indemnification Materiality Scrape Creates Risks for the Unwary
The Delaware Superior Court in JanCo FS 2, LLC v. ISS Facility Services clarified how a materiality scrape should be applied in M&A indemnity clauses. The court first inserts the full definition of “Material Adverse Effect” and then strikes materiality qualifiers, effectively expanding the...
Banks Poured $429B Into Steel; Capital Isn’t the Hurdle
"Between 2016 and mid-2023, 354 banks provided $429 billion to the 100 biggest steel producers, suggesting that finding capital isn’t the main challenge." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-11/banks-backing-green-steel-fund-false-solutions-report-says
Side Letter: Bain Leans Local
Bain Capital announced a strategic pivot toward more locally‑focused private‑equity investments, citing heightened macro‑economic uncertainty and tighter cross‑border financing. The shift aligns with broader industry trends, as firms anticipate a surge in take‑private transactions through 2026 driven by low financing...
🎥 AGM Unscripted: Goldman Sachs' Kristin Olson - The Evolution of Alternatives: Bridging Private Markets and Wealth
Goldman Sachs hosted its 2025 Alternatives Summit, spotlighting the integration of private markets into mainstream wealth management. In a podcast interview, Kristin Olson, Global Head of Alternatives for Wealth, outlined how the firm’s platform is scaling access to private equity,...
UK to Regulate BNPL Platforms From 15 July
The UK Financial Conduct Authority will begin regulating buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) providers from 15 July 2026 under a temporary permission regime (TPR). Firms active on 15 July 2025 must apply for TPR and confirm registration intent by early May, while those opting out must halt...
ING Groep NV Sells 64,648 Shares of GE Aerospace $GE
ING Groep NV trimmed its GE Aerospace holding by 38.3%, selling 64,648 shares and leaving a 104,299‑share position worth roughly $31.4 million. The reduction came as other institutions, notably Norges Bank, Jennison Associates, Vanguard, Lazard and Geode Capital, expanded their stakes,...
Jobs Report Day Shows Record Forecast Divergence
Good morning and welcome to Jobs Report Day in the US. The consensus forecasts are for a monthly employment gain of 65,000, an unemployment rate of 4.4%, and a 3.7% annual increase in average hourly earnings. As we head into this release,...
Shareholder Rejects Netflix Deal, Backs Paramount Bid
Small Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholder Blasts ‘Flawed, Inferior’ Netflix Offer and Backs Paramount’s Hostile Bid — but Will It Matter? https://t.co/NGSPvAdqOW via @variety
TotalEnergies Cuts Buybacks as Low Oil, Gas Prices Weigh on Profits
TotalEnergies announced a 62% reduction in its Q1 share buyback, lowering the program to $750 million after a fourth‑quarter adjusted net income of $3.8 billion fell 13% year‑on‑year. The cut reflects weaker oil and gas prices that offset a 215% surge in...
January Jobs Surge 130K, Beating Forecasts, Unemployment Dips
January Non-Farm Payrolls print at 130K vs expected 66K - previously 48K Unemployment holds ticks lower to 4.3% #NFP
Pop Mart Rallies 50% with Minimal Short Covering
For those of you still watching where this bull-bear battle goes for Pop Mart, S3 Partners just said they have not seen much short covering despite the shares over 50% rally in less than a month through Tuesday https://t.co/oArFfDeiSH
New Deputy Finance Minister Guns for 5.6% First-Quarter GDP Growth
Indonesia’s newly appointed deputy finance minister, Juda Agung, entered office on February 5 after serving as Bank Indonesia’s deputy governor. Within days he announced an ambitious revision to the first‑quarter 2026 GDP target, nudging it from the baseline 5.5 percent to 5.6 percent....
How to File Tax Returns for Individuals with Multiple Streams of Income
The Nigeria Tax Act 2025 mandates that every resident file a personal income‑tax return by 31 March, consolidating earnings from salaries, freelance gigs, rentals, dividends and other streams. Taxpayers must use their State Internal Revenue Service’s portal—or visit the office where digital...
Global Equity Study 2025: Analysing Data and Impact
On 10 February, Treasury Today hosted a panel discussion dissecting the 2025 Global Equity Study, a research effort backed by Standard Chartered. Moderator Sophie Jackson led Treasury leaders from AbbVie, the International Organization for Migration and Standard Chartered through the...
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CMWAY) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Commonwealth Bank of Australia reported a solid second‑half 2025 performance, with cash net profit climbing 6% and earnings per share increasing $0.19. The bank highlighted disciplined growth across its core retail and business segments despite cost‑of‑living pressures and global uncertainty....
MLPI: Supercharging MLPs For 15% Yields
NEOS MLP High Income ETF (MLPI) aims to deliver roughly 15% after‑tax yields by layering covered‑call premiums on a portfolio that mirrors the AMLP structure. The fund’s 100% return‑of‑capital distribution model defers taxes, boosting net income for investors. In addition...
Low Net Exposure Offers Little Shelter for Colosseum
Colosseum Global Alpha entered 2026 with a modest 12% net exposure, a level that usually limits market sensitivity. In January the fund slumped 14.2%, driven primarily by short positions that were caught in extreme price swings. Shares of SanDisk and...
MPV: High-Quality Fund But Expensive At This Time
Barings Participation Investors (MPV) is a high‑quality, income‑focused closed‑end fund delivering a 7.8% yield and solid dividend coverage. The fund’s floating‑rate private‑credit portfolio positions it to profit from future interest‑rate cuts. However, shares currently trade at a 21% premium to...
Ladder Capital: No Harm In Positioning Itself Conservatively
Ladder Capital (LADR) continues to position itself as a low‑volatility, conservatively managed CRE REIT, with management holding over 10% of the equity. The Q4 2025 report showed a miss on dividend coverage, yet the portfolio remains anchored by more than...
What Goal Should You Set for Your Finance Team?
The article argues that a finance team’s true purpose is to improve decision quality and protect profitability, not merely to keep the books compliant or produce reports. It explains why accuracy and compliance are foundational but insufficient for strategic impact....
Mahindra & Mahindra Q3 PAT Rises 33% to ₹3,931 Crore
Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 33% jump in standalone profit after tax to ₹3,931 crore for Q3 FY26, while revenue rose 26% to ₹38,942 crore. Vehicle sales increased 23% to 302,238 units, and the farm‑equipment segment posted a 20.2% margin on ₹10,200 crore...
HMM Stays in the Black in Q4
South Korean carrier HMM posted a Q4 2025 net profit of KRW 364 billion, a 59.9% plunge from the prior period, while revenues fell 14.2% to KRW 2.71 trillion. The full‑year results showed a 50.3% profit drop to KRW 1.88 trillion as container freight rates slumped 49%...
Engines, Not Experiments: A Real Path to AI in Finance
Financial firms are moving AI from pilot projects to production by adopting application engines that provide a unified environment for data, business logic, and user interfaces. A Gartner survey shows 59% of CFOs use AI but only 10% have production‑grade...
Toyota‑Elliott Dispute over Toyota Industries Deal Lacks Key Financials
This @NikkeiAsia article just out on Toyota Group's "clash" with Elliott on the disposition of Toyota Industries is shameful. There are a bunch of very basic quotes. There is no mention of book value. There is no mention of the...
China's Consumer Inflation Cools, Producer Prices Keep Falling
China’s Consumer Inflation Eases, Producer Prices Stay in Decline The consumer-price index rose 0.2% from a year earlier in January, cooling from December’s 0.8% increase https://t.co/7xOyvC2ByN https://t.co/7xOyvC2ByN
The Structural Pressures Reshaping Airport Strategy: Revenue, Decarbonisation and Geopolitics
Airports are seeing passenger growth but aeronautical revenues are constrained by regulation and taxation, prompting a shift toward non‑aeronautical income. Justin Erbacci of ACI World warns that traditional funding will fall short for the capital‑intensive decarbonisation agenda, recommending public‑private partnerships...
HUL-Owned Minimalist Revenue Spikes 48% to Rs 515 Cr in FY25
Hindustan Unilever‑owned Minimalist posted a 48% jump in operating revenue, reaching Rs 514.8 crore in FY25, surpassing the Rs 500 crore mark. The brand’s expenses rose 51% to Rs 504 crore, driven by higher advertising spend and material costs, yet EBITDA remained positive at Rs 18 crore. A...
China Vanke Downsizes Serviced Apartment Business After Record Red Ink
China Vanke, a state‑backed developer, announced a record 82 billion yuan ($11.8 billion) loss for 2025. The loss prompted the company to shrink its serviced‑apartment business, scaling back operations in Shenzhen under the Port Apartment brand. The move is part of a...
FTSE 100 Live: Heathrow Traffic Record; Homebuilders Call for Help
UK’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.3% after a string of negative corporate news. Energy giant BP announced a suspension of its share buyback programme and heightened cost‑cutting targets to fund oil production, while Standard Chartered saw its finance chief Diego De Giorgi...
Q3 Results Today Live: M&M, Divi’s Lab, Ashok Leyland, Lenskart, LG Electronics, Godrej, Patanjali Foods, AstraZeneca to Announce Q3 Results,...
India’s Q3 earnings season saw several blue‑chip stocks post strong results, lifting market sentiment. Eicher Motors led gains with a 7% share surge after reporting 22.9% revenue growth and higher EBITDA margins. Apollo Hospitals and Titan also delivered double‑digit profit...
Voya Strategic Income Opportunities Fund Q4 2025 Commentary
Voya’s Strategic Income Opportunities Fund delivered outperformance in Q4 2025, surpassing its ICE BofA USD 3‑Month Deposit Index benchmark on a net asset value basis. The quarter was marked by heightened policy uncertainty due to a government shutdown, alongside market turbulence driven by a...
Hong Kong Working to Allow Perpetual Contracts, Chief Regulator Says
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...