Today's Finance Pulse
EchoStar’s SpaceX stake lifts valuation to over $42B, price target jumps to $161
EchoStar holds roughly 262 million SpaceX shares, now valued between $42 billion and $43 billion after SpaceX’s IPO. New Street Research raised EchoStar’s price target to $161 per share, about 37% above the market price. The SpaceX holding now dwarfs EchoStar’s traditional satellite assets.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Olin and Huntsman announce $12.5B all‑stock merger
Jennifer Garner’s Once Upon a Farm CFO Gets Post-IPO Raise
Once Upon a Farm, the organic kids‑food brand that raised about $198 million in its February IPO, announced a post‑IPO compensation overhaul. CFO Lawrence Waldman’s base salary jumps to $450,000, his bonus is set at 70 % of that salary, and he receives $1 million in restricted stock units vesting in two years. Co‑founder and brand ambassador Jennifer Garner will earn an additional $3 million over two years starting in 2027, expanding her existing $8 million spokesperson agreement. The moves aim to lock in leadership as the company scales its refrigerated pouch portfolio.
Avalara Adds New Capabilities to Property Tax Solution
Avalara has upgraded its cloud‑based Property Tax platform with agentic AI, intelligent document processing, and machine‑learning driven validation. The enhancements promise to shrink turnaround times from days to minutes while consolidating returns, assessments, appeals and bills in a single system...
Proposed EPA Budget Zeroes Out Water Revolving Funds as Chief Says the SRFs 'Don't Revolve'
The EPA’s FY 2027 budget request would slash the drinking‑water and clean‑water State Revolving Loan Funds by roughly 90%, reducing them to $150 million and $155 million respectively—a $4.6 billion cut from FY 2026 levels. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the reductions, blaming longstanding earmark...
Rossby Financial Launches Advisor Profitability Calculator
Rossby Financial, a Florida‑based RIA platform, launched a free Advisor Profitability Calculator that lets wealth managers compare their cost structure to Rossby’s flat‑fee model. The tool performs a cost‑volume‑profit analysis using inputs such as AUM, tech fees, E&O costs, payout...
Open‑source SpaceX IPO Index‑Effect Simulator for Everyone
Ok @GestaltU coded up a simulator for the index-effects of the SpaceX IPO. All references and methodologies sourced. I love the internet. Disagree with my (or his) math? Just change your assumptions: https://t.co/Mt34elu0ZX
Top 3 SPAC Targets – Enterprise AI Managers
After a lull, SPAC activity is resurging, targeting firms that embed AI and large‑language models into enterprise workflows. The column highlights three private AI‑management companies—Mintlify, TrueFoundry, and Together AI—as prime SPAC candidates. Mintlify recently closed a $45 million Series B, TrueFoundry raised...
Soloviev To Pocket $526M In 9 W. 57th St. Refi
Stefan Soloviev has secured a $1.8 billion CMBS refinancing for the iconic 9 W. 57th St. tower, returning roughly $526 million in cash to the Soloviev Group. The five‑year loan replaces a $1.2 billion mortgage, adds $74 million for closing costs and landlord obligations, and carries a...
Josh Zegen, Adi Chugh Talk Private Credit and Writing Big Checks
Josh Zegen, co‑founder of Madison Realty Capital, reflects on two decades of building the private‑credit real‑estate market, while newcomer Adi Chugh’s TYKO Capital has already financed marquee deals—a $565 million Miami office loan and a $1 billion Manhattan tower. Speaking at The...
Potomac Tech Wire - May 7
The Potomac tech ecosystem saw several headline moves this week. HawkEye 360 completed a $416 million IPO on the NYSE, with its stock jumping more than 30 percent. Scout Space raised an $18 million Series A to build a new sensor facility in Northern...
Whirlpool Sales Plunge, Warns of 4 Percent Price Hikes, Blames Inflation
Whirlpool Corp. slashed its full‑year earnings outlook to $3‑$3.50 per share and halted its dividend as it confronts rising input costs, a new 25% tariff on imported appliances, and a heavy debt load. The company warned that list prices will...
Suntera’s Von Bevern on the ‘Speed’ Advantage of Private Credit
Michael Von Berven, Global Head of Funds at Suntera Global, explains that private credit’s chief advantage is speed, allowing high‑growth companies to secure capital faster than traditional banks. The sector offers senior term loans, mezzanine and subordinated debt that preserve ownership,...
Bitmine to Slow Down Ether Purchases as It Nears Accumulation Goal, Tom Lee Says
Bitmine, the largest Ethereum‑treasury firm, now holds 5.1 million ETH—about $11.9 billion—representing 4.29% of the total supply. At a buying rate of roughly 100,000 ETH per week, the firm will hit its 5% accumulation target in six weeks and plans to slow...
Q1 Markets in Review
Prof G Markets will host a live Q1 market review on Monday, May 11 at 10 a.m. ET featuring NYU valuation professor Aswath Damodaran. The session will dissect the quarter’s volatility, covering Big Tech earnings, hyperscaler capex battles, the prospective SpaceX IPO,...
4 Steps to Integrate AI Into Your Operations
Artificial intelligence has moved from novelty to a core strategy for accounting firms, with 81% reporting productivity gains and 86% noting reduced mental load, according to Intuit’s 2025 Accountant Technology Survey. Adoption varies, as many firms remain in experimental phases,...
Organizational Justice and DOJ Expectations — Building a Speak-Up Culture That Works (Part I of II)
The U.S. Department of Justice now places culture, internal reporting, and investigative integrity at the core of its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs. Prosecutors assess whether organizations have trustworthy, confidential speak‑up channels and whether investigations are impartial, consistent, and remedial....
Exclusive: Warren Says OCC Rule Limits Oversight to 5 Banks
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned that the OCC's proposed rule would raise the asset threshold for heightened oversight from $50 billion to $700 billion, effectively limiting strict supervision to just five banks instead of the agency’s estimate of eight. The rule would allow...
Digits Brings Automated Accounting Schedules Inside the Ledger
Digits unveiled Digits Schedules, an AI‑driven add‑on that embeds accrual‑accounting workflows directly into the general ledger. The tool automatically detects transactions needing accruals, drafts supporting schedules and creates recurring journal entries, while giving accountants the ability to approve or modify each...
IRS Establishes Program for Rulings on Significant Issues
The IRS issued Rev. Proc. 2026‑21 on May 7, 2026, creating a program that lets taxpayers request rulings on specific, significant legal issues tied to transactions under sections 332, 351, 355, 368, or 1036. The initiative reinstates the practice of issuing letter rulings on parts of integrated transactions, aiming...
Open Ceiling, Volatility Hedging Beats Soft Protection
Most hedged equity funds offer "soft protection" that fails on the way down and caps you on the way up. We spent April proving why an open ceiling and volatility-based hedging is the better way to play market rips. https://t.co/iwoFg5xu7R
NY Announces $268B Budget Deal Including Second-Home Tax
Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a tentative $268 billion state budget that adds a proposed levy on second homes in New York City valued over $5 million, projected to generate up to $500 million annually. The plan also provides $1.5 billion in operational aid to...
North Carolina Panel Approves $2.2 Billion in Borrowing
The North Carolina Local Government Commission authorized roughly $2.2 billion in municipal borrowing, targeting a range of infrastructure projects across the state. Charlotte will sell $215 million in bonds to build a fourth runway at its international airport and receive $530 million in...
Low‑Income Consumers Facing Cash Crunch, CEO Warns
"They’re literally running out of money at the end of the month,” Kraft Heinz Co. Chief Executive Officer Steve Cahillane said in an interview this week. “We’re seeing negative cash flows in the lower-income brackets where they’re dipping into savings" https://t.co/DGHOd4fe9L
Gold ETFs Record US$6.6bn Inflows as Global Investors Return to Safe Haven
Global physically backed gold ETFs attracted $6.6 bn of net inflows in April, reversing March outflows. The surge lifted total assets under management to $615 bn, the highest on record. Investors turned to gold as geopolitical tensions rose and macro expectations shifted....
NN, Inc. (NNBR) Reports Processing of Its CARES Act Refund of >$10 Million
NN, Inc. announced that the IRS has processed a CARES Act tax refund of more than $10 million. The company had borrowed $10 million in the first quarter of 2026 to fund capital equipment and working capital, and the refund will fully...
CPSEs Capex Surges 63% in April, Kick Off FY27 on Strong Note
India’s large public‑sector enterprises and four key government bodies raised capital spending in April to Rs 81,107 crore (≈ $9.8 billion), a 63 % year‑on‑year jump. The outlay, which accounts for about 9.6 % of the FY 27 budgeted capex of Rs 8.43 lakh crore (≈ $101 billion), underscores a vigorous start...
Colorado House Passes Interchange Ban on Local Taxes
Colorado’s House of Representatives voted 45‑19 to pass the Swipe Fee Fairness and Consumer Safeguards Act, which would prohibit banks from charging interchange fees on the sales‑tax portion of card transactions. The measure would be the second state law of...
I Evaluated the 5 Best Anti-Money Laundering Software in 2026
The article reviews the five top anti‑money‑laundering (AML) platforms for 2026—iDenfy, Ondato, Abrigo Anti‑money Laundering, ComplyCube, and ComplyAdvantage—based on a G2‑driven analysis of over 20 tools and thousands of user reviews. Each solution is evaluated on transaction monitoring, KYC/CDD automation,...
Fewer Earnings Reports Means More Retail Investor Risk
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a rule change that would reduce mandatory public company filings from four quarterly reports to two semi‑annual reports each year. Proponents argue the move cuts compliance costs, but critics warn it will...
Kansas Gets Positive Rating Outlook From Moody's
Moody’s upgraded Kansas’s credit outlook from stable to positive, highlighting the state’s strengthened governance, a robust budget‑stabilization fund and higher pension contributions. Governor Laura Kelly said the shift reflects eight years of fiscal discipline, including a $2 billion rainy‑day fund and...
Semi-Liquids’ Valuation Conundrum
Apollo CEO Marc Rowan warned that semi‑liquid private‑market assets are facing a valuation crisis. He highlighted three intersecting trends: soaring secondary‑market activity, tighter credit conditions, and the rise of bespoke financing structures. The confluence is compressing spreads and forcing investors...
#58924
Carvana Co. shareholders approved a 5‑for‑1 stock split on May 5, 2026, with the ex‑distribution date set for May 8, 2026. The split will reduce the share price to roughly one‑fifth while increasing each holder’s share count fivefold. The OCC adjusted all Carvana options,...
Swissquote Shareholders Vote in Favor of All Motions at General Meeting
Swissquote Group Holding Ltd shareholders approved all agenda items at its May 7, 2026 general meeting. The board endorsed a gross dividend of CHF 7.40 (about $8.07) payable on May 13, elected Hans‑Rudolf Köng as the new Chair, added Thomas Romer to the board, and re‑appointed...
GATX: ‘Well-Positioned to Navigate Increased Macro Uncertainty’
GATX reported first‑quarter 2026 net income of $85.5 million, or $2.35 per diluted share, up 9% from the prior year. The company invested more than $4.5 billion, highlighted by a $4.2 billion purchase of Wells Fargo’s rail operating‑lease portfolio, expanding its North American fleet...
Why Stocks and Bonds Are Responding Differently to the Iran War
The U.S. equity market has surged to fresh highs even as the Iran war pushes oil prices and inflation upward, while the bond market has slipped under the same pressures. Stocks—both domestic and international—have rebounded strongly since the March dip,...
Defensive and Record-High Cash-Like Funds Top Sales as Investors Boost ISA Contributions
Investors in the UK shifted toward defensive, cash‑like vehicles in March, with short‑term money‑market funds pulling a record £2 bn (~$2.5 bn). Mixed‑asset and absolute‑return funds also saw strong inflows, while equity and bond funds recorded net outflows of £1.3 bn and £97 m...
EBA Amends Guidelines on the Definition of Default
On 7 May 2026, the European Banking Authority issued a final report amending its Guidelines on the definition of default. The amendments clarify the past‑due treatment of non‑recourse factoring and align the guidelines with changes introduced by the Capital Requirements...
What the Author of ESSB 6346 Said He Was Actually Trying to Do
State Senator Jamie Pedersen’s 2018 emails reveal a deliberate plan to use a capital‑gains tax as a legal foothold to overturn the 1933 Culliton v. Chase decision that treats income as property. The strategy succeeded in getting a 2021 capital‑gains...
Morningstar DBRS Expected Loss Ratings
Morningstar DBRS has re‑published its Expected Loss Ratings framework, originally issued in December 2018, with only editorial and stylistic updates. The revised document details the Expected Loss Rating Scale and benchmarks for asset‑backed commercial paper (ABCP), auto loans, and residential mortgage‑backed...
Semi-Liquids’ Valuation Conundrum
The requested article titled “Semi‑liquids’ valuation conundrum” was not provided in full, so the specific details, metrics, and commentary from Apollo CEO Marc Rowan cannot be extracted. Without the body text, a precise executive summary cannot be generated.
Arcus Takes 74% Stake in TrueNoord, Expanding Regional Aviation Leasing Platform
Arcus Infrastructure Partners has purchased a 74% controlling stake in TrueNoord, a specialist regional aircraft leasing firm. The deal brings long‑term infrastructure capital to a niche market that is attracting institutional investors seeking stable, connectivity‑driven revenue.
Bajaj Auto Beats Q4 Estimates and Launches $595 M Record Share Buyback
Bajaj Auto reported quarterly earnings above analyst forecasts and unveiled a 56.33 bn‑rupee ($595 M) share buyback at a 16.3% premium. The earnings surge was driven by premium bike sales, margin expansion and a recent tax cut on 350 cc motorcycles.
Trading Technologies Adds FX Forwards, NDFs, Swaps to Unified Platform
Trading Technologies announced that its FX suite now supports forwards, non‑deliverable forwards and swaps, merging OTC currency products with its listed‑derivatives execution environment. The move gives institutional desks a single interface for spot, futures, precious metals and multi‑currency hedges, aiming...
Wolters Kluwer Deploys AI Invoice Review Agent with Built‑In Governance, Promising 10% Spend Savings
Wolters Kluwer introduced the LegalVIEW BillAnalyzer Invoice Review Agent, an AI‑driven tool that automatically flags non‑compliant legal invoice line items and makes adjustments. The system, built on a $200 billion invoice data set, claims 98% decision accuracy and can uncover savings of...
BSE Clocks Record FY26 as Derivatives Revenue Doubles
India’s Bombay Stock Exchange posted its strongest financial results in its 150‑year history, with FY26 net profit jumping 61% to ₹795.47 crore (~$96 m) and total revenue up 59% to ₹5,148 crore (~$620 m). Derivatives revenue more than doubled, reaching ₹3,134 crore (~$378 m), while average...
OPay Targets $20bn Valuation in $4bn US IPO, Eclipsing Nigerian Banks
OPay announced plans for a $4 billion initial public offering on U.S. exchanges, aiming for a post‑money valuation north of $20 billion. The filing positions the African fintech above the market caps of Nigeria’s Zenith Bank and GTCO, and has sparked a...
CVS Health Beats Q1 Estimates, Raises FY2026 Guidance on Aetna Surge
CVS Health reported first‑quarter net income of $2.94 billion and sales of $100.43 billion, surpassing analyst forecasts. The company lifted its full‑year 2026 earnings guidance to $7.30‑$7.50 per share and revenue target to at least $405 billion, citing a stronger Aetna insurance unit.
S&P Cuts India FY27 Growth Forecast to 6.6% Over Iran War Risks
S&P Global Market Intelligence reduced India's fiscal year 2027 growth projection to 6.6%, down from 7.1%, citing the ongoing Iran war. The downgrade highlights shrinking fiscal space, rising debt and potential curbs on capital expenditure, while structural drivers such as...
Bankruptcy Filing Ties Tieks CEO to Aspiration Scheme
A Los Angeles bankruptcy filing on April 20 adds Tieks CEO Kfir Gavrieli as an alleged recruiter of fake customers in the Aspiration Partners revenue‑fraud scheme. The motion, filed by his sister, claims Gavrieli signed sham letters of intent and received a...
BD Names Vitor Roque CFO to Drive Next Phase of Growth
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) announced Vitor Roque as its new chief financial officer, effective May 7, 2026. Roque, a 25‑year BD veteran who served as interim CFO since December 2025, will steer the finance function as the company pushes...
Foreign Demand for U.S. Treasuries Stalls as Investors Shift to Other Sovereigns
The Institute of International Finance said foreign investors have stopped adding to U.S. Treasury holdings, keeping net purchases flat this year while increasing purchases of Japanese and European sovereign debt. The shift reflects growing concerns over the United States’ mounting...