Today's Finance Pulse
Buy‑Side Commercial Due Diligence Gains Spotlight as Buyers Seek Holistic Insights
Buy‑side commercial due diligence is a multi‑disciplinary evaluation that goes beyond financial statements to assess market dynamics, customer relationships, operational capabilities and regulatory compliance before an acquisition. The process follows five stages, starting with target screening, to deliver a realistic view of future performance.
Also developing:
AvidXchange Expands Embedded Payments Strategy with Ministry Brands Integration
AvidXchange has launched embedded payments within Ministry Brands’ accounting platform, which serves more than 90,000 churches and nonprofit organizations. The integration embeds the full accounts‑payable lifecycle—invoice capture, approval, and payment—directly into the existing software, eliminating the need for separate tools. By automating workflows and adding real‑time visibility, the solution aims to reduce administrative overhead and strengthen financial controls for resource‑constrained entities. The move underscores a broader industry shift toward embedding finance functions within vertical‑specific applications.
How Are Finance Teams Using AI Right Now?
Finance teams are experimenting with AI, but adoption is split between early adopters using autonomous agents and the majority stuck in legacy ERP workflows. The main barriers are a shortage of hybrid accounting‑AI talent, fragmented data architectures, and weak governance...
Markets Catch a Whiff of Peace as Oil Cools, but Risks Linger
A tentative US‑Iran memorandum sparked a sharp retreat in oil, with Brent falling 7% to $102 a barrel and WTI dropping 8% to $94, the steepest two‑session decline since the April ceasefire. The easing of supply‑risk fears lifted Indian equities,...
The Hidden Cost of “Last-Minute Compliance” In Accounting Firms
Accounting firms face rising hidden costs from last‑minute compliance as HMRC’s digital mandates, such as Making Tax Digital, tighten deadlines. Rushed reviews increase error rates, demand extra correction time, and strip away valuable advisory conversations with clients. The article contrasts...
LLMs Likely Mirror Mediocre Funds, Not Market Alpha
I respect the hustle but the concept that an LLM can beat the market, unless very carefully deployed, is, in my opinion, very dubious. Alpha in public markets follows a power law distribution. We see this in multiple dimensions: > 92% of...
Choosing Finance Software in the Age of AI: Five Decisions Leaders Can’t Afford to Get Wrong
Choosing finance software now hinges on AI readiness, governance and speed rather than sheer feature count. AccountsIQ research shows 61% of finance leaders are comfortable using AI, yet 66% find implementations stressful and a quarter exceed seven months. Leaders are...
Private Credit Titans Take Some Blame for Skittish Retail Buyers
Private‑credit giants gathered at the Milken Institute conference to admit the term “semi‑liquid” no longer fits their products, after a wave of retail withdrawals sparked by the collapses of Tricolor Holdings, First Brands Group and Market Financial Solutions. Executives from...
Taranis Capital Taps IYE Global to Bolster Due Diligence and Risk Management
Dubai‑based Taranis Capital, a DFSA‑regulated investment platform, has entered a strategic partnership with IYE Global to strengthen its due‑diligence and risk‑management capabilities. IYE Global will provide independent, forensic intelligence covering pre‑investment vetting, counterparty assessments, governance reviews and ongoing risk monitoring....
Family Offices Partner with Wealth Managers and OCIOs to Boost Tax Efficiency
Family offices are increasingly outsourcing tax‑efficient investment strategies to wealth‑management firms and outsourced chief investment offices (OCIOs). The shift reflects a broader push for customized asset allocation and tax‑wrapper selection as U.S. ETFs surge toward a $2 trillion inflow in 2026.
Platinum Equity Acquires Infrared Heater Maker Infratech in Undisclosed Deal
Platinum Equity announced the acquisition of Infratech, a U.S. manufacturer of infrared electric heating solutions, from founder Sam Longo Jr. and CEO John Mazzotta. While the purchase price was not disclosed, the deal keeps Mazzotta as CEO and positions the...
Colliers International Posts $1.31B Q1 Revenue, Boosts EBITDA 8% Amid CRE Resilience
Colliers International announced first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $1.31 bn, up 15% year‑over‑year, and adjusted EBITDA of $124.8 m, an 8% increase. The results highlight durable growth across its diversified CRE services and a $400 m debt raise to fund the pending Ayesa Engineering...
Brazil Poised for $21.3 Bn Critical‑Mineral Investment by 2030
Brazil will draw $21.3 bn in critical‑mineral investments through 2030, a 15.2% rise over the previous forecast. The surge centers on rare‑earth, lithium and other battery metals, positioning the country as a key alternative to China’s dominance.
The Alliance Group Launches Finance Advisory Practice to Bolster CFO Services
The Alliance Group announced the launch of a Finance Advisory practice designed to help chief financial officers plan, forecast and improve performance. The new service adds execution‑focused AI and automation tools to the firm’s existing CFO‑centric offerings, signaling a deeper...
Citigroup Sells $2.5 B Banamex Stake, Moves Closer to Full Mexico Exit
Citigroup has completed the sale of a 22.6% stake in Grupo Financiero Banamex to a consortium of institutional investors for $2.5 billion, raising its total divested ownership to roughly 49%. The deal clears a major hurdle in Citi’s four‑year plan to...
UK Dividends Rise by 21% in Q1 – Which Sectors Made the Bumper Payments?
UK dividends jumped 21% in Q1 2026 to £16.4 billion (≈ $20.8 billion), propelled by a nine‑fold rise in special payouts that reached £3.3 billion (≈ $4.2 billion). Reckitt Benckiser, Zegona Communications and Next were the biggest special‑dividend contributors, while healthcare remained the top regular‑dividend sector,...
Market Research Is Too Slow for the AI Era, so Brox Built 60,000 Identical 'Digital Twins' Of Real People You...
Brox, a predictive human intelligence startup, raised a strategic funding round after 10× revenue growth and unveiled a platform of 60,000 digital twins—one‑to‑one replicas of real people—enabling enterprises to run unlimited surveys in hours. The twins are built from deep,...
Adapt CIO Warns Fragile Market Structure Could Spark Liquidity‑Driven Bankruptcies
Adapt Investment Managers’ chief investment officer, Alexis Maubourguet, warned that the market’s “fragile” structure could precipitate a shock leading to “liquidity‑driven bankruptcies.” In a 40‑page note, he outlined seven structural shifts that he says investors are underestimating, raising alarm across...
Shinhan’s AI Semiconductor ETF Hits 1 Trillion Won AUM, Joining Korea’s Mega‑ETF Club
Shinhan Asset Management announced that its SOL AI Semiconductor TOP2 Plus ETF surpassed 1 trillion won ($730 million) in assets under management just 50 days after launch, propelled by record retail buying and a concentrated portfolio of Korea’s semiconductor giants.
AB InBev Q1 2026 Revenue Up 5.8% to $15.3B, EPS Jumps 20.8% to $0.97
Anheuser‑Busch InBev reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $15.3 bn, a 5.8% increase year‑over‑year, while underlying earnings per share rose 20.8% to $0.97. The results, driven by megabrand strength and premium‑price growth, beat analyst expectations and reinforce the brewer’s bullish outlook for...
Puma Appoints Former Hugo Boss CEO Mark Langer as CFO to Drive Turnaround
Puma has named Mark Langer, former CEO of Hugo Boss, as its new chief financial officer, replacing Markus Neubrand. The hire comes as the German sportswear maker reports a 1% currency‑adjusted decline in Q1 sales, underscoring the urgency to revive profit...
Pfizer Posts $14.5 B Q1 Revenue, Reaffirms 2026 Guidance
Pfizer announced first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $14.5 billion, a 5% year‑over‑year increase, and a 22% rise in operational revenue from launched and acquired products. The company reaffirmed its full‑year 2026 financial guidance while highlighting progress in oncology and obesity pipelines.
UK 30‑Year Gilt Yield Hits 5.78%, Highest Since 1998 Amid Election and Energy Shock
The yield on Britain’s 30‑year government bond jumped to 5.78%, the highest level since 1998, as investors priced in Bank of England rate‑hike expectations, record oil prices and uncertainty surrounding local elections. The move pushes long‑term borrowing costs to a...
Data Bottlenecks Keep CFOs From Achieving Sub‑Three‑Day Month‑End Close
A LiveFlow survey of finance leaders reveals that data‑entry bottlenecks and modest AI use keep month‑end close cycles long—only 16% finish in under three days. The findings highlight why CFOs’ push for faster closes remains hamstrung despite heavy AI investment.
AlphaDrive Launches $100 M Fund Targeting AI‑driven Cyber‑security Startups
Veteran investors Yaron Elad, Elik Etzion and UBS veteran Gurinder Sidhu have launched AlphaDrive, a $100 million fund dedicated to AI‑enabled cybersecurity companies. Backed by anchor investor Leumi Partners and a slate of family offices and entrepreneurs, the fund aims to...
Latus Bio Secures $97 Million Series A to Scale Gene‑Therapy Access
Latus Bio closed a $97 million Series A financing, with a $43 million extension led by 8VC, to accelerate its AAV‑based gene‑therapy pipeline. The capital will fund IND filing for Huntington’s disease candidate LTS‑201 and a CLN2 trial, underscoring investor confidence in...
From Manual to Strategic: How AI Is Transforming Finance and Accounting Operations
In a Controllers Council webinar co‑hosted by Zip, finance leaders discussed how AI is reshaping finance and accounting operations. The panel, featuring Zip’s chief accounting officer Sameer Syed and Huntress’s director of accounting operations Ken Liu, highlighted the shift from automating isolated...
Cannabis Execs Anticipate Tax Benefits From Rescheduling
The DOJ and DEA reclassified medical cannabis as a Schedule III drug on April 23, ending its Schedule I status. This change eliminates the IRS 280E restriction for medical cannabis businesses, potentially cutting tax burdens by up to half. Industry leaders Curaleaf and Green...
Exclusive: Baird Capital to Test Buyout Market for Water Treatment Firm Cleanwater1, Sources Say
Baird Capital is preparing to test the buyout market for Cleanwater1, a water‑treatment firm that reported $40 million of EBITDA last year. Analysts estimate the company could command a 15‑to‑17 times EBITDA multiple at exit, implying a valuation between $600 million and...
Financings for May 6, 2026
UK‑based Cytospire Therapeutics announced a £61 million (≈$82.7 million) Series A round to accelerate its EGFR‑targeted T‑cell engager pipeline for solid tumours. The capital backs multiple pre‑clinical programs and reflects strong investor confidence in next‑generation immunotherapies. Bio Korea 2026 highlighted a shift in...
Adore Me Weighs on Victoria’s Secret Operating Income
Victoria’s Secret & Co. reported FY 2025 operating income of $271 million, down $39 million year‑over‑year, even as net sales rose 5% to roughly $6.6 billion. The decline reflects a $120 million pre‑tax impairment (after‑tax $90 million) on Adore Me assets after a strategic review deemed...
How to Calculate the Total Cost of Ownership of ERP Software
Calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) of ERP software requires looking beyond the headline license or subscription fee. Decision‑makers must add implementation, hardware, support, training, data migration and hidden soft costs such as staff time and opportunity loss. A...
Supermicro Announces 3rd Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Results
Supermicro reported third‑quarter FY2026 revenue of $10.2 billion, a sharp rise from $4.6 billion a year earlier but down from $12.7 billion in Q2. Gross margin expanded to 9.9% and net income jumped to $483 million, reflecting a turnaround in its datacenter‑building‑block business. The...
First Gen Jan-Mar Income Down 24% After Gas Stake Sale
First Gen Corp's Q1 2026 net income fell 24% to PHP3.6 billion (~$65 million) from PHP4.8 billion (~$87 million) after selling a 60% stake in its natural‑gas assets for PHP50 billion (~$0.9 billion). The company now only records a 40% share of gas‑related profit. Losses at...
Novo Nordisk CEO Says the Drugmaker Is More Active than Ever in Seeking Out Deals
Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar told CNBC the company is more active than ever in pursuing acquisitions to broaden its obesity‑drug pipeline. He highlighted upcoming candidates CagriSema and zenagamtide, asserting the pipeline is among the best in the industry. The...
Mutual Funds Accelerate Launch of New Passive Investment Products
Mutual‑fund houses in India are fast‑tracking new passive ETFs as equity markets recover. SBI Mutual Fund will debut two ETFs – the Nifty200 Value 30 and the Nifty Smallcap 250 – on May 7, offering value‑screened large‑cap exposure and broad small‑cap coverage. Groww...
AI COGS Redefine SaaS Finance After Decade
Last month marked 10 years of creating SaaS finance content. I grabbed an open domain name, and that accidentally became my brand today. You could say things have changed a bit over the past 10 years. Did I think I'd...
RDS Mining Injects $20M to Fund O'Brien Gold Drilling
A C$20M bought-deal financing from @RDSMining is a serious cash injection for the O’Brien story and will include more deep drilling. As JV puts it, this additional capital buys more shots on goal—or more aptly, shots on #gold. Overweight position:...
PayPal Is Slashing 20% of Its Workforce as New CEO Unveils Turnaround Plan
PayPal announced a restructuring that will eliminate roughly 20% of its workforce, about 4,760 jobs, over the next two to three years. The cuts are part of a $1.5 billion run‑rate savings program unveiled by new CEO Alex Lores, who took...
Public Acquires Investing Education Startup in Fintech M&A
Love to see it: More big fintech M&A from @Public, acquiring an investing education startup. https://t.co/ea217OjQp0
Insulet Raises Revenue Expectations for 2026
Insulet Corp. raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 21%‑23% on a constant‑currency basis, up from the prior 20%‑22% range. The company posted Q1 revenue of $761.7 million, a 34% year‑over‑year increase, and net income of $91.1 million. Growth is being driven...
Why Are Gilt Yields Rising and What Does It Mean for Your Money?
UK gilt yields surged to their highest levels in nearly three decades, with 30‑year bonds reaching 5.79% and 10‑year yields topping 5% for the first time since 2008. The spike follows heightened geopolitical tension from the Iran conflict and rising...
EY and Rillet Partner to Embed Risk and Controls Into AI-Native Finance Transformation
EY US has announced an alliance with AI‑native ERP provider Rillet to fuse finance transformation, automation, and risk management into a single operating model. The partnership leverages EY’s consulting and control expertise alongside Rillet’s general‑ledger‑first platform, embedding controls directly into...
Commission Approves over €800 Million in State Aid to Lithuanian Development Bank
The European Commission approved a €813 million (≈$887 million) equity injection and €15 million (≈$16 million) per‑year tax‑exemption package for Lithuania’s development bank ILTE. The aid targets projects that face market‑failure financing gaps across agriculture, renewable energy, district heating, building refurbishment, transport, defence, digital...
M&T Takes ‘Patient’ Approach to M&A, CFO Says
M&T Bank, which manages $213.8 billion in assets, is actively scouting acquisition targets but is deliberately pacing its M&A activity, CFO Daryl Bible said. The bank’s focus remains on deepening scale within its existing 13‑state Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic footprint rather than...
SpaceX Financials Flagged as Concern to SEC
SOC Investment Group, a pension‑fund adviser, has written to the SEC urging a thorough review of SpaceX’s financial disclosures before its slated IPO, citing concerns over the accuracy of its accounting and auditor independence. The group also wants the agency...
APRA Finalises Targeted Amendments to CPS 230 Operational Risk Management
On 30 April 2026, APRA finalized targeted amendments to prudential standard CPS 230, practice guide CPG 230, and the material service provider register. The changes introduce a list‑based exemption mechanism for non‑traditional service providers such as central banks, regulators, and government agencies,...
ESMA Promotes Proportionate Supervision of MiFID II Sustainability Requirements
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published the results of its Common Supervisory Action on how MiFID II sustainability requirements are applied. The statement outlines interim supervisory expectations for collecting client sustainability preferences, product categorisation, portfolio‑approach application and target‑market assessment....
Royco - DeFi's Risk Waterfall
Royco Dawn, launched in April 2026, introduces a risk‑tranching layer to DeFi yield sources by splitting deposits into Senior and Junior positions. The Senior tranche enjoys a contract‑defined protection buffer, while the Junior tranche absorbs first‑losses and earns a higher...
The Future of AR in the AI Era: What Finance Teams Actually Want
Finance leaders across industries report that accounts‑receivable (AR) teams are overwhelmed by data overload, manual research, and routine customer inquiries. They consistently want AI assistants that prioritize high‑risk invoices, automate payment matching, and handle mundane inbox tasks, rather than fully...
As Anthropic Deepens Its Push Into Finance, RIA Execs Draw Lines on AI Use
Anthropic released ten finance‑focused AI agent templates that automate tasks such as pitch‑deck creation and compliance screening. Advisors like Andrew Altfest and Brian Green acknowledge the efficiency boost but stress that human judgment is essential for nuanced, emotional client decisions....