Know What's Happening in Finance
Know What's Happening in Finance
Klarna secures $1.7B risk‑transfer deal to free capital for lending
Klarna announced a $2 billion forward‑flow facility with Elliott Investment Management to back up to $17 billion of U.S. loan originations over the next three years. On April 1 the fintech completed its largest ever Significant Risk Transfer, a €1.7 billion ($1.9 billion) deal led by Värde Partners, unlocking capital for further growth.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Huntington Bancshares completes Cadence Bank acquisition
The California Air Resources Board approved the Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Climate Financial Risk Disclosure Initial Regulation, setting an August 10, 2026 deadline for the first‑year corporate emissions filing. SB 253 obliges companies with more than $1 billion in revenue to report Scope 1 and 2 emissions now and Scope 3 emissions beginning in 2027, while SB 261 requires firms over $500 million to disclose climate‑related financial risks, currently on a voluntary basis due to a court injunction. CARB’s preliminary list identifies over 4,000 U.S. firms that will fall under the new regime.
Hong Kong's Treasury Secretary Christopher Hui announced plans to broaden the SAR's preferential tax regime to cover insurance-linked securities (ILS) such as catastrophe bonds. The proposal expands the definition of “funds” to include pensions, endowments and single‑investor vehicles, and adds...
London‑based estate agency Dexters posted an 11% revenue increase to £247 million and a 10% profit rise to £52 million for the year to 30 September 2025. Growth was split between 9% organic expansion and acquisition‑driven gains, notably the Keatons purchase. Lettings revenue grew...
Brightline West, the privately‑owned high‑speed rail venture linking Southern California to Las Vegas, still awaits a $6 billion federal Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan. The company is simultaneously pursuing a $4 billion senior loan from a banking consortium while construction...
Sweden’s Skandia, through head of private equity Stefan Fällgren, outlined its criteria for selecting a replacement general partner (GP) in a brief video. The insurer emphasized that a GP must demonstrate a strategy capable of delivering outperformance over an extended...
Fertitta Entertainment, the Houston Rockets’ owner, is in talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment, a $5 billion market‑cap casino operator. If the deal closes, conflict‑of‑interest rules would force Caesars to drop all Rockets betting lines from its online and brick‑and‑mortar sportsbooks, echoing...
Platinum Credit Uganda, a Platcorp subsidiary, secured a $4 million, 24‑month investment from Swiss asset manager Symbiotics to broaden financing for low‑income households and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Uganda. The capital, disbursed on 22 December 2025, enabled a phased rollout...
Standard Chartered reported $1.07 billion in sustainable finance income for 2025, a 9% increase year‑over‑year and surpassing its $1 billion target. The Banking division contributed $610 million, growing 11%, while Transaction Services and Markets added $340 million and $117 million respectively. The bank also achieved...
In this episode of Credit Crunch, Noel Hubert interviews Jim Gubitosi, co‑CIO of Income Research & Management, about the firm’s evolution from a modest $10 bn AUM boutique to a $130 bn fixed‑income specialist. Gubitosi recounts how the 2007‑08 financial crisis forced...
The U.S. faces a shortage of over three million homes, with prices up 40% since 2020 and mortgage rates climbing, leaving middle‑income families unable to buy or qualify for subsidized units. Build‑to‑Rent (BTR) offers single‑family rentals that blend the space...
Financial reports are the most reliable indicator of a Swiss bank’s strength, offering transparent evidence beyond brand reputation. Regular, audited statements that detail capital, liquidity, and risk disclosures allow prospective clients—especially non‑residents—to assess stability and resilience. Easy access to these...
Mintoak, the Mumbai‑based merchant SaaS platform, will raise Rs 80 crore in debt through non‑convertible debentures issued by BlackSoil to fund the acquisition of Dubai‑based loyalty‑tech firm ICC Loyalty. This marks the company’s second acquisition in twelve months, after buying Digiledge in...
Supply‑chain cash flow is tightening as buyers cling to cash, pushing late‑payment rates to 55% and on‑time payments down to 37%. SAP Taulia’s survey of 10,854 suppliers shows a five‑year high 66% interest in early‑payment programs. Suppliers are counter‑acting by adopting...
AI adoption in financial services is now near‑universal, with only 2% of institutions reporting no AI use. The Finastra State of the Nation 2026 survey of 1,509 senior executives shows 60% improved AI capabilities and 43% rank AI as their...
Luxembourg's CSSF released Version 7 of its digital‑asset FAQ, aligning fund rules with the EU MiCAR framework. UCITS can now gain indirect exposure to crypto assets up to 10% of NAV, while direct exposure remains barred; AIFs may invest directly, with...
Global enforcement actions plunged 72% in 2025, with total fines shrinking to $5.488 bn, down from $17 bn in the United States alone the prior year. The United States still led with $3.22 bn in penalties, while Europe and Asia‑Pacific saw markedly lower...
Chicago's city council is considering a 1.5% surcharge that would lift the total hotel tax to nearly 19%, the highest among major U.S. cities. The additional revenue, projected at $40 million annually, would be earmarked for a tourism improvement district managed...
Park Square Capital’s Robin Doumar warns that private‑debt markets have shifted from a focus on broad exposure to rigorous selection. As more capital chases a limited pool of borrowers, pricing pressure and credit quality concerns intensify. Doumar stresses that investors...
Credit managers who apply disciplined, thoughtful deployment strategies are poised to capture gains as private credit allocations continue to expand, according to Brinley Partners’ Kerry Dolan and Rex Chung. The firm highlights that rising institutional interest in private credit underscores...
Private credit managers are widening their product menus and deal structures as borrowers demand more flexibility and creative financing, according to Latham & Watkins partners. The industry is moving from deep, niche lending toward a broader suite of solutions, including...
Kartesia Asset Finance’s Fabrice Fraikin argues that private‑credit‑backed asset‑backed finance (ABF) is entering a rapid expansion phase in 2026. He highlights that while capital inflows are surging, the sector’s success hinges on meticulous underwriting and granular data analysis. Fraikin warns...
Embedded finance is set to exceed $7 trillion in transaction volume by 2026, cementing its role as core infrastructure for business platforms. However, fraud attempts are rising two to three times faster than in traditional banking, outpacing legacy detection tools. The...
A PYMNTS Intelligence study of 583 U.S. small and medium‑sized businesses reveals that credit cards are now a primary operating tool rather than a backup. Over half of SMBs (54%) mix business and personal cards, 82% rely on cards for...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has issued its final Guidelines on the capital endowment requirement for third‑country branches under the Capital Requirements Directive. The Guidelines enumerate eligible instruments—government, central‑bank, public‑sector or multilateral guarantees that receive a 0 % risk weight—and set...
Corporate treasurers are urged to expand beyond traditional efficiency measures and adopt ten payments effectiveness metrics that reveal how well transactions complete, where failures occur, and what risks persist. The metrics cover exceptions, processing time, authorization and success rates, chargebacks,...
ISDA has published an updated global compliance calendar for OTC derivatives, outlining key regulatory deadlines worldwide. The update also includes a Market Practice Note detailing the rebasing methodology for several European inflation indices. Additionally, ISDA provides guidance for EU counterparties...
Airbus has failed to meet its commercial aircraft delivery guidance for three consecutive years, with shortfalls driven by engine shortages, buyer‑furnished equipment delays, and quality‑control problems. The company repeatedly revised its outlooks as supply‑chain bottlenecks persisted, undermining the reliability of...
Steadfast Group reported underlying revenue of $1 billion for H1 2026, a 14.6% year‑on‑year increase. Underlying EBITA rose 12.6% to $293.6 million, while NPATA and NPAT grew 6.3% and 7.3% respectively. The Australasian Network brokers generated $6.4 billion in gross written premiums, up 4.4%,...
India’s economy is modernising rapidly, creating a fertile backdrop for mid‑cap equities. The India Capital Growth Fund highlights three stocks positioned to capture this wave: Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), which benefits from a deepening commodity market; Aether Industries, a niche...
A loan agreement (ISIN NO0013735787) was filed on 2 March 2026 for a Norwegian issuer, with the instrument listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under MIC XOSL. The filing includes a detailed loan description and the full agreement in PDF format, providing...
Choice Hotels senior vice president and general counsel Simone Wu announced her retirement and executed a direct sale of 8,080 shares for roughly $820,600 under a Rule 10b5‑1 plan. The transaction, filed on Feb. 2, 2026, reduced her direct holdings by about...
Borregaard ASA announced that it transferred 212,596 shares to 503 employees participating in its 2026 employee share programme. The allocation follows earlier exchange notices in February and represents a significant portion of the company's treasury stock. After the transfer, Borregaard...
The 2025 Employees' Provident Fund (KWSP) dividends experienced a slight decline to 6.15% for both conventional and syariah accounts. CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn attributed this reduction to: 1. stagnant growth within the local stock market and the 2. strengthening of the...
Delos Insurance Solutions and ROAR Partners have formed a strategic collaboration to deliver a full‑stack disaster risk exposure strategy for wildfire‑prone regions, beginning with California. The partnership targets low‑development‑risk zones, builds multi‑stakeholder alliances, and offers integrated investment, financial, and insurance...
Euronext announced that Judith Stein will serve as Head of Investor Relations, reporting to CFO Giorgio Modica from its Paris office. Stein, who joined Euronext in 2020 after a career at the European Court of Auditors, previously held the role...
Ironshield Capital Management, led by founder David Nazar, has operated its flagship sub‑investment‑grade credit strategy since 2007, delivering equity‑like returns with markedly lower volatility than the Stoxx 600. The strategy generated a 1.48× multiple over the past two years and targets...
In this episode, AM Best analysts Bridget Mayer and Ann Modica discuss their latest report on Caribbean insurers, highlighting that reinsurance costs and capacity constraints have eased due to a low catastrophe year and softer property reinsurance pricing. Insurers have...
The CFI.co briefing outlines ten technology breakthroughs that are reshaping the risk‑return landscape for energy and infrastructure investors. Record‑setting photovoltaic efficiencies, sodium‑ion and iron‑air storage, grid‑forming controls, enhanced geothermal, high‑temperature heat pumps, solid‑state batteries, larger offshore turbines, iridium‑light PEM electrolyzers,...
The Delaware Court of Chancery refused to dismiss a claim that Jefferies, the financial advisor to Forum III, aided and abetted fiduciary breaches in a de‑SPAC merger. The court applied the Dole factors, inferring that Jefferies knowingly participated by preparing...
Back to Investment Markets in light of Iran-US-Israel War 📈 "If you don't have a clear game plan, you shouldn't be taking any action at the market open... If your game plan is to reduce risk across the board, again open is...
Hong Kong investment group Bonjour Holdings reported a half‑year loss of HK$68.8 million for the period ending 31 December 2025, an improvement from the HK$134.4 million loss a year earlier. Revenue plunged 50.4% year‑on‑year to HK$6.7 million in its retail and wholesale division, while gross...
Manufacturers in Victoria are confronting steep land‑tax hikes, with SEMMA reporting an average 80% increase between 2024 and 2026 and spikes above 200% for some firms. The surge is diverting cash that would otherwise fund new machinery, apprenticeships and process...
QIC partner Zach Jackson stresses that secondary buyers must fully underwrite both the sponsor and the underlying asset when assessing continuation vehicle (CV) opportunities. The firm adopts a no‑compromise stance, insisting on comprehensive due diligence rather than relying on surface...
TPG GP Solutions co‑managing partners Matt Jones and Michael Woolhouse say firms with deep sector expertise and direct underwriting are reshaping the single‑asset continuation vehicle (CV) market. They argue that specialist managers can price assets more accurately and execute faster...
Permira’s co‑CEO Dipan Patel says the firm will double‑down on specialization and performance in the next private‑equity cycle. The firm plans to simplify its mission, focusing on a narrower set of sectors where it can add deep expertise. By tightening...
Hellman & Friedman CEO Patrick Healy says that even as distributions to limited partners remain sluggish, the firm can still close sizable sponsor exits. Healy highlights that strategic timing and asset positioning enable multi‑billion‑dollar exits despite a broader market slowdown....
Nuveen Private Markets executives Laura Parrott and Jessica Bailey outlined how the firm is structuring Asset‑Backed Financing (ABF) deals to satisfy growing limited‑partner demand for private‑credit exposure. They highlighted the importance of predictable cash flows, tranche‑level risk allocation, and ESG...
Asset‑based finance (ABF) ties loans to tangible collateral, delivering higher yields while limiting downside risk, which appeals to a broad investor base. John Wright, partner and global head of credit at Bain Capital, says the firm is expanding its ABF...
A Bank of Singapore survey of 90 senior intermediaries across Singapore, Greater China and Dubai shows a clear shift toward fixed‑income products as investors brace for anticipated rate cuts. One‑third of respondents expect rising demand for bonds, while alternative investments...
UnionBank of the Philippines reported a 17% drop in net income for 2025, posting P10 billion versus P12 billion the prior year. Despite the profit dip, net revenues climbed to P83.2 billion, driven by robust loan growth and higher transaction volumes. The bank’s...
