Today's Finance Pulse
SpaceX files for record‑size IPO, targeting $50B‑plus raise and $1T valuation
SpaceX confidentially filed for an IPO slated for June 2026, aiming to raise at least $50 billion and push its valuation above $1 trillion. Founder Elon Musk holds roughly 44 percent of the company, giving him a net worth of about $823 billion. The filing positions the rocket and satellite maker among the most valuable public companies ever.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Berkshire Hathaway invests $10B in Alphabet's private placement
CoreWeave Stock Sinks After Forecast Miss
CoreWeave Inc. (CRWV) saw its shares plunge 11% after the AI‑focused data‑center operator issued a revenue outlook of $2.45‑$2.6 billion for the current quarter, missing the $2.7 billion consensus. Operating income is now projected at $30‑$90 million, well below analysts’ $154 million estimate, and the company chose not to raise its full‑year guidance. The stock has previously rallied 78% this year and over 200% since its March 2025 IPO, but each earnings release has triggered a sell‑off. Despite strong demand from firms like Meta and Anthropic, the miss underscores volatility in the AI‑infrastructure market.
Evergy Expects Retail Sales to Rise up to 8% Annually on Data Center Growth
Evergy raised its retail‑sales growth forecast to 7‑8% annually through 2030, driven by a surge in data‑center and other large‑load customers. New electric service agreements have lifted total large‑load contracts to 2.5 GW, up from 1.9 GW three months earlier, with an...
BlackRock’s South Korea ETF Records $409 Million Outflow as AI Stocks Propel KOSPI to 75% YTD Gain
BlackRock’s iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (EWY) saw a record $409 million net redemption, the largest in its history, as AI‑related stocks drove the KOSPI up 6% in a single session and 75% year‑to‑date. The $23 billion fund’s outflow highlights how sector‑specific...
IMF Warns AI-Driven Cyber Attacks Could Trigger Funding Strains for Emerging-Market Banks
The International Monetary Fund warned that AI‑enhanced cyber attacks could cause extreme losses, strain funding and raise solvency concerns for banks and sovereign debt holders in emerging markets. The IMF’s blog highlighted the rapid diffusion of advanced models like Anthropic’s...
Stellus Capital to Release Q1 2026 Results on May 11, CFO to Lead Investor Call
Stellus Capital Investment Corp (NYSE: SCM) announced that its first‑quarter 2026 financial results will be released after market close on May 11, with a live conference call on May 12 led by CEO Robert T. Ladd and CFO W. Todd...
Canadian Stocks Slip 0.37% as Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz
Canadian equities slipped 0.37% to 33,856.62 as Iran imposed new transit rules on the Strait of Hormuz, prompting concerns over oil supply disruptions. The decline erased gains from the previous session and highlighted heightened geopolitical risk for North American markets.
Kodiak AI Raises $100M at $6.50 Share Price, Stock Slides 37%
Kodiak AI announced a $100 million financing at $6.50 per share, far below its $9.10 closing price, triggering a 37% plunge in after‑hours trading. The raise, led by Ares Management and unnamed institutions, underscores the valuation strain facing autonomous‑vehicle startups despite...
Musk’s Sweetheart Deal
Elon Musk settled the SEC’s lawsuit over his delayed Twitter‑stock disclosure by paying a $1.5 million fine, a penalty far smaller than the $150 million gain the SEC says he saved. At the same time, Meta faces a massive copyright suit alleging...
Apis Partners Closes $1.23 B Fund III, Doubling Size of Prior Vehicle
Apis Partners announced the final close of its Global Growth Fund III and Growth Markets Fund III at $1.23 billion, more than double the $563 million raised for Fund II. The round closed 23% above target, driven by over 70% of existing...
Why CFOs Must Lead the Response to AI-Fueled Disinformation
Artificial intelligence has turned misinformation into a top emerging risk, with Gartner’s 1Q26 report naming disinformation as the most pressing threat to corporate reputation and financial performance. The article argues that chief financial officers must take charge, orchestrating C‑suite collaboration...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Quantum Motion to Lunar
UK tech investment this week totaled £234 million (≈$293 million), an 86% drop from the prior week but still driven by a handful of large deals. Quantum Motion led the pack with a £117.5 million Series C to advance silicon‑based quantum computers, while Cytospire...
Mobia Medical Prices $150 Million IPO to Fund Stroke‑Device Platform
Mobia Medical, Inc. priced a 10 million‑share public offering at $15 per share, raising roughly $150 million. The Nasdaq‑listed ticker “MOBI” will debut on May 8, giving the stroke‑device firm capital to accelerate product development and market rollout.
UCITS Cat Bond Fund Assets Rise 6.5% YTD in 2026, Near $20.5bn After April
UCITS catastrophe bond funds added $650 million in April, pushing total assets under management to $20.5 bn, a 6.5% year‑to‑date increase. The sector, now composed of 20 pure UCITS funds, has grown 133% since the end of 2022 and accounts for roughly...
Managing and Pricing Data Centre Risk Remains a Key Challenge: Holmes, Moody’s
Brandan Holmes, senior credit officer at Moody’s, warned that insurers struggle to assess and price data‑centre risk because of scarce loss data, short equipment lifespans and a mix of physical and cyber hazards. He highlighted the geographic concentration of high‑value...
Rocket Lab Narrows Q1 Loss, Acquires Motiv Space, Secures Multi‑Launch Deal
Rocket Lab reported a narrowed first‑quarter loss of $45 million and revenue of $200.3 million, while announcing the acquisition of Motiv Space Systems and its largest multi‑launch contract to date. The moves expand the company's B2B launch services and position it for...
Tax Exemption, Medicaid Funding Are Top Muni Pros' Concerns
The Bond Buyer’s 2026 Policy Pulse Survey of 82 municipal finance professionals reveals deep anxiety over federal policy, especially the tax‑exempt status of muni bonds, Medicaid funding volatility, and trade‑tariff shifts. Roughly 75% of respondents see a negative impact on...
Post‑AI Client Expectations: Why Predictive Insight Is the New Baseline
AI is reshaping accounting from a focus on precision and historical reporting to predictive insight. Clients now expect real‑time forecasts, anomaly alerts, and proactive guidance, pressuring firms to act as strategic partners. Firms that embed predictive tools and advisory touchpoints...
Sage Touts New, Enhanced Products for Advisory, Payroll, More
Sage announced a suite of AI‑enhanced products aimed at accounting firms and their clients, including the expanded Sage Intacct Advisory with industry‑specific templates and automation. The company also launched Sage HCM, a unified HR and payroll platform, and introduced Sage...
AngloGold Unveils $2bn Buyback as Registers Record Cash Flow
AngloGold Ashanti disclosed a $2 bn share repurchase program after reporting a record $1.17 bn free cash flow in Q1. The miner paid a base dividend of $63 m (12.5 cents per share) and increased total shareholder payout to $585 m, or 116 cents per share....
CFOs On the Move: Week Ending May 8
A wave of CFO appointments and departures marked the week ending May 8, spanning restaurants, entertainment, and technology firms. Michelle Hook left Portillo’s for Shake Shack, while Brian Witherow stepped down at Six Flags, prompting an interim finance lead. iCIMS elevated CFO Marc...
CIRO Cuts Margin Rates for over 1,500 Securities
CIRO announced that 1,592 Canadian and U.S.-listed securities qualify for reduced margin rates under its first‑quarter 2026 LSERM, effective May 29. The required margin drops to 30% for client positions and 25% for Dealer Member inventory, a cut from the...
WTiCabs’ ₹1,000 Crore Target Faces Stress Test as Dubai Acquisition Hits Rough Patch
WTiCabs remains committed to a FY26 revenue target of ₹1,000 crore (≈$120 million) even as its recent Dubai acquisition has turned loss‑making due to geopolitical tensions that cut utilisation to about 50%. The Dubai unit now forecasts ₹25‑30 crore (≈$3‑4 million) of revenue, half...
Banks Underestimating Climate Risks From Disorderly Transition, ECB Warns
The European Central Bank warned that many banks are underestimating climate‑related risks tied to a disorderly energy transition. ECB supervisors highlighted gaps in stress‑testing, scenario analysis, and governance, noting that roughly one‑third of surveyed banks lack robust climate‑risk models. The...
Anthropic Just Released 10 Finance Agents. Installing Month End Closer
Anthropic launched a marketplace of ten finance‑focused agents for its Claude model, featuring a Model Builder for FP&A and a Month‑End Closer designed to automate the most labor‑intensive part of the close process. In a pilot using a March 2026 Born2Cycle...
U.S. Holds $49B Intel Stake, Locked Until Aug 27
INTC Aug 27 mark your calendars. The Intel deal included $8.9 billion for 10% of Intel at $20.47 a share. As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. government’s 433.3 million shares in Intel were valued around $49 billion, $40 billion more...
Prudential CFO Sees ‘Gradual Ramp up’ of Sales in Japan After Pause
Prudential Financial’s CFO Yanela Frias said the February sales pause at its Japan subsidiary cost about $130 million in the first quarter, driving a 27% YoY drop in international revenue to $424 million. The pause, extended through Nov 5, will remain until a...
Blue Owl Marks up SpaceX Holding by 36% in Q1
Blue Owl Capital raised the valuation of its SpaceX holdings by roughly 36% in Q1 2026, marking the shares at over $526 each versus $387 at the end of 2025. The firm sold about half of the stake at a...
Bank of Baroda Q4 Results: PAT Grows 11% YoY to Rs 5,616 Crore; NII up 9%
Bank of Baroda posted a consolidated net profit of ₹5,616 crore (≈$676 million) for Q4 FY26, up 11.2% YoY. Net interest income rose 9% to ₹12,494 crore (≈$1.5 billion), supported by a 12% surge in total deposits to ₹16.48 lakh crore (≈$199 billion). Advances expanded 16% to...
DoorDash Spending $50 Million to Help Drivers With Gas Costs
DoorDash announced a $50 million fuel‑relief program to offset rising gasoline costs for its gig drivers. The initiative was disclosed during the company’s latest earnings call, where executives said delivery demand remains robust despite higher transportation expenses. DoorDash’s CFO noted that...
With Fixed Income, It’s Time to Think About Outcomes
Passive bond ETFs tied to the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Index have long been the go‑to for risk‑averse investors, but their static composition leaves out key segments such as floating‑rate debt and non‑agency credits. Janus Henderson argues that the index’s heavy...
Aurubis Increases 2025/26 Forecast Based on Recent Quarterly Performance
Aurubis raised its FY2025/26 operating earnings before tax forecast to €425‑525 million ($500‑618 million), up from €375‑475 million, citing sustained high metal prices, stronger recycling revenue, and higher sulfuric acid sales. The second quarter showed a 15% rise in preliminary EBT to €121 million...
Los Angeles Mayor Says City Has a New Approach to Infrastructure
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unveiled the city’s first comprehensive, multi‑year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), a 112‑page strategy that consolidates 14 infrastructure bureaus into a single funding roadmap. The plan seeks to address decades of under‑investment—currently only 1.11% of general‑fund...
Tata Consumer Products Q4 Results: Profit Rises 21% YoY to Rs 419 Crore, Revenue up 18%
Tata Consumer Products posted a fourth‑quarter net profit of Rs 419 crore (≈ $50 million), a 21% rise year‑over‑year, while revenue climbed 18% to Rs 5,434 crore (≈ $655 million). For the full fiscal year, revenue crossed the Rs 20,000 crore ($2.45 billion) mark, up 15%, and net profit grew 20%...
U.S. Audit Watchdog Should Rescind Its Independence Rules, SEC Official Says – WSJ
U.S. audit regulator SEC chief accountant Kurt Hohl said the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) independence rules should be rescinded and replaced with SEC guidance. The SEC plans to issue informal, nonbinding guidance this year, then consider formal rule...
Sunrun Quarterly Results: Sunrun Increases Revenue by 43 Percent in Q1 2026 and Reports Net Profit - Shares Rise
Sunrun reported a strong Q1 2026 financial performance, with revenue climbing 43% year‑over‑year to $722.2 million. The energy‑systems segment surged 151% to $254.4 million, while core contract revenue rose 16% to $467.8 million. The company posted a net profit of $167.6 million ($0.71 basic EPS)...
ROBOTERA Raises USD 200 Million To Scale Global Robotics Expansion
ROBOTERA announced a $200 million funding round led by SF Group, exceeding its original target and following a prior RMB 1 billion (~$140 million) strategic raise. The capital will fund production scaling, engineering for next‑gen models, and global market expansion. The company now has...
Quorn’s Transition Plan Takes Hold with Shift Away From Artificial Ingredients
Quorn Foods, owned by Monde Nissin, reported a strong Q1 fiscal 2026, with EBITDA more than doubling to 325 m pesos ($5.4 m) and net profit turning positive at 87 m pesos ($1.4 m). Gross margins jumped 881 basis points to 31.8%, driven by targeted...
Elliott Targets Daikin: Cut Costs, Boost ROE, Unlock Value
Shareholder activist Elliott's 27 April 2026 case for Japanese HVAC company Daikin: 1. Technology edge in inverter systems, refrigerant systems, compressors 2. Has been growing market share from 10% in 2015 to 14% last year, suggesting brand strength 3. The global HVAC market...
I Squared and Blackstone Weigh Stroeer Takeover
Infrastructure investor I Squared Capital and private equity giant Blackstone are nearing a joint bid for German media group Stroeer, valuing the company at roughly €2.5 billion (about $2.7 billion). Sources say the consortium is eyeing a per‑share offer in the mid‑€40...
Managing Tech Costs in a Volatile Market
Enterprises face mounting technology spend as cloud AI pricing, licensing and volatile energy costs surge. Companies that rely on public clouds see budgets blown out in months, while on‑premise AI workloads are hit by soaring oil‑driven electricity rates. Greg Holmes...
ROIC Misleads M&A Value by Ignoring Timing
Michael Mauboussin on why ROIC is a poor measure when it comes to M&A "ROIC is an inappropriate way to assess M&A because the cost (invested capital) is reflected immediately and the benefit (NOPAT) comes over time. Most deals, even those...
Buyers' Power Peaks in 2026—Secure Better Deals
Buyers got a lot more power in 2026… Take advantage of it and get a lot better deals this year. Below are the questions I am asking and things I am doing https://t.co/FLxg2Navyh
Why Experience Still Matters in an Automated Finance World
Finance and tax teams are rapidly adopting AI for tasks like transaction classification, compliance checks, and forecasting. However, the looming retirement of Baby Boomer experts—about 10,000 daily in the U.S. and 37% of IRS staff by 2028—threatens to strip organizations...
Wendy's System Upgrade Costs $15‑20M, Aims Long‑Term Gains
System optimization is a "net headwind of $15 million to $20 million" to Wendy's revenue, but company believes it's better for the long-term health of the system. $WEN
Tax Cuts without Spending Cuts Simply Increase the Deficit
Lemme ’splain: calling it a “big beautiful bill” doesn’t make the maths prettier. If you cut taxes and don’t cut spending, the deficit goes up. That’s not ideology. That’s just arithmetic wearing sensible shoes. https://t.co/s6DzR88EeI
Changes Coming to California Prop. 65 Warnings
California’s Proposition 65 will enforce new short‑form warning language for products manufactured or labeled on or after Jan 1 2028. The revised warnings must identify at least one specific carcinogenic or reproductive‑toxic chemical and can use “CA WARNING” or “CALIFORNIA WARNING” after the...
A New Era Of Sanctions Screening
New York’s Department of Financial Services Part 504, effective Jan 1 2017, has reshaped sanctions‑screening compliance by demanding technology‑driven, quality‑focused programs rather than simple list checks. The rule obliges senior management to certify annually that matching tools, data quality controls, and governance meet...
Hyundai Motor India Posts 22% Decline in Q4 FY26 Net Profit, Revenue Rises 5%
Hyundai Motor India reported a 22.2% drop in Q4 FY26 net profit to ₹1,256 crore (≈$151 million) while revenue rose 5.4% to ₹18,916 crore (≈$2.3 billion). For the full year, profit slipped 3.7% to ₹5,432 crore (≈$655 million) as revenue modestly increased 2.3% to ₹70,763 crore (≈$8.5 billion)....
Saints Free $4M Cap Space by Converting Werner Salary
The New Orleans #Saints converted $5.035M of LB Pete Werner's salary into signing bonus, creating $4.028M of 2026 cap space. Updated Cap Hits 2026: $3.9M 2027: $9.2M 2028: $5.3M (void)
SEC Proposes Optional Semi‑annual Reporting, Prompting Wealth‑advisor Workflow Shift
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a rule change that would let listed companies replace quarterly Form 10‑Q filings with optional semi‑annual Form 10‑S reports. Wealth‑management firms and advisors are weighing the operational impact, with some seeing little risk...