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:
Wingstop: Franchise Expansion At Risk As Sales Slow (Rating Downgrade)
Wingstop was downgraded to Sell after its same‑store sales outlook slipped to a low single‑digit decline for FY26, reversing earlier growth expectations. The company’s aggressive 16% franchise unit growth target is now viewed as unsustainable amid franchisee margin pressure and broader macro headwinds. Despite a sharp price correction, the stock still trades at roughly 20× forward EBITDA, a premium relative to peers with stronger fundamentals. Analysts warn that the expansion strategy could further erode profitability if sales continue to lag.
India Built Payments for Speed, but Why RBI Now Wants Pauses
India’s Reserve Bank is moving to temper its ultra‑fast payment ecosystem after authorized‑push payment fraud surged ten‑fold since 2021, wiping out roughly ₹23,000 crore (about $2.8 billion). The RBI’s discussion paper proposes a one‑hour hold on account‑to‑account transfers above ₹10,000 (≈$120) and...
Robinhood Stock Drops After $100 Million Trump Accounts Cost, Analysts Weigh Pull‑Back Buy
Robinhood Markets saw its stock tumble in extended trading after announcing a $100 million expense to build the government‑backed Trump Accounts platform, erasing roughly $5 billion in market value. Barclays cut its price target to $82 while keeping an overweight rating, sparking...
Roku Posts $86 Million Q1 Profit as Platform Revenue Jumps 28% and Active Households Top 100 Million
Roku announced a Q1 2026 profit of $86 million, driven by a 28% rise in platform revenue to $863 million and a 27% jump in ad sales. The company also surpassed 100 million active streaming households, though device revenue slipped 16% on lower...
Qualcomm Shares Jump $15B on Q2 Beat and 5G/AI Growth Outlook
Qualcomm's shares surged 12% after the chipmaker posted fiscal Q2 results that beat forecasts, highlighted a 38% jump in automotive revenue and outlined a roadmap for custom silicon and AI‑enabled 5G chips. The rally added roughly $15 billion to the company's...
Landmark Bancorp Posts Record Q1 Revenue as Real‑Estate Loans Drive Growth
Landmark Bancorp announced a quarterly revenue record of $18.8 million for Q1 2026, helped by a surge in commercial real‑estate lending. The bank’s earnings per share rose 6.7% sequentially, while loan delinquency and non‑performing loan ratios edged higher.
BBC to Cut Up to 2,000 Jobs in Cost‑Cutting Drive
BBC interim director general Rhodri Talfan Davies announced a plan to eliminate between 1,800 and 2,000 positions – roughly one in ten employees – over the next two years. The cuts will be paired with voluntary buyouts and a freeze...
JSW One Acquires BuildNext to Bolster Home‑Construction Tech Suite
JSW One Platforms has completed a share‑swap acquisition of BuildNext Construction Solutions, backed by Pidilite Ventures, to integrate design, execution and supply‑chain capabilities. The deal includes a Rs 22 crore ($2.6 million) convertible‑preference investment by Pidilite, signaling confidence in the combined offering.
Santander Finalizes $3.8 Billion TSB Takeover, Biggest UK Banking Deal in 15 Years
Santander UK has closed a near‑£3 bn ($3.8 bn) acquisition of TSB, the largest banking investment in Britain in over a decade and a half. The merger lifts the combined group to the third‑largest position for current accounts and fourth for mortgages,...
Federated Hermes Posts Record $907B AUM in Q1, Boosted by Equity and Money‑Market Gains
Federated Hermes announced $907 billion in assets under management at the end of Q1, a record level fueled by equity and money‑market inflows. The firm also completed an $3.2 billion real‑estate acquisition and raised $780 million for its European Direct Lending III fund,...
Ecovyst to Acquire INEOS' Calabrian Sulfur Business for $190 Million
Ecovyst Inc. announced a $190 million deal to acquire INEOS Enterprises' Calabrian sulfur dioxide and sulfur derivatives business. The acquisition, slated to close by the end of Q2 2026, will add products such as sodium bisulfite and sodium metabisulfite to Ecovyst’s portfolio...
EA Automatic Deploys Hybrid AI to Redefine Investment Leadership
EA Automatic announced a hybrid artificial‑intelligence platform that merges machine‑learning analytics with human‑informed strategy, moving the firm from rule‑based execution to adaptive investment leadership. The new framework promises real‑time strategy adjustment and personalized growth plans for investors, signaling a shift...
Microsoft CFO Signals Ongoing Workforce Cuts as AI Spending Soars
Microsoft CFO Amy Hood announced that the company expects headcount to fall year‑over‑year even as its AI business reaches a $37 billion annual revenue run rate. The move, paired with a voluntary retirement program covering roughly 8,700 U.S. employees, underscores a...
Ringgit Gains 2.6% as IMF Boosts Malaysia GDP Forecast to 4.7%
The Malaysian ringgit appreciated about 2.64% against the U.S. dollar by the end of April 2026, while the International Monetary Fund lifted its 2026 GDP growth forecast for Malaysia to 4.7% from 4.3%. Both moves underscore growing investor confidence in...
Oppenheimer Holdings Posts Q1 Loss as Legal Settlement Drags Earnings
Oppenheimer Holdings reported a first‑quarter net loss of $20.6 million, or $(1.93) per share, despite a 21% revenue rise to $445.1 million. The loss was dominated by a $70 million legal accrual for a cash‑sweep litigation settlement and a $22.3 million stock‑based compensation charge....
Archer Aviation Shares Rally as Investor Appetite Grows Amid eVTOL Funding Crunch
Archer Aviation’s shares rose sharply after analysts highlighted renewed investor interest despite a 26% plunge this year. The surge reflects optimism over a $1 trillion urban air‑mobility market, United Airlines’ $25 million stake and looming certification hurdles that pit Archer against rivals...
Boyne Capital Closes $355 Million BCM Fund III to Back Lower‑Middle‑Market Companies
Boyne Capital announced the closing of its third investment vehicle, BCM Fund III, at $355 million. The Miami‑based firm now has more than $725 million in commitments since 2006 and will continue targeting family‑owned lower‑middle‑market businesses.
Build a Mini Hedge Fund with Python Algo Trading
How to create your own "mini" hedge fund with algorithmic trading and Python A thread 🧵
FinWise Q1 Earnings Show 38% Loan Origination Surge but Rising Credit Losses
FinWise reported $2.7 million net income for Q1 2026 and $1.7 billion in loan originations, a 38% year‑over‑year increase. The earnings release also flagged higher charge‑offs in its SBA portfolio and a widening efficiency ratio, underscoring both momentum and mounting credit risk...
Boracay’s Untapped Potential
The Department of Public Works and Highways awarded San Miguel Holdings Corp. a 30‑year concession to finance, design, build, operate and maintain a 2.54‑kilometre bridge linking Boracay Island to Caticlan. The P7.95 billion (≈US$145 million) project is slated for three years of...
EV, Solar Loans Emerge as Bright Spots for Banks
Philippine banks BDO Unibank and Bank of the Philippine Islands are tapping electric‑vehicle (EV) and residential‑solar loans as a nascent growth engine amid soaring oil prices and grid‑price volatility. BDO’s sustainable‑finance portfolio reached roughly $22 billion in 2025 and it arranged...
Private Credit Isn’t Safer than Banks — It’s Just Better at Hiding Losses
Private‑credit funds, which manage a $2‑$3 trillion market, often sell loans at deep discounts to meet quarterly redemption caps. Under ASC 820, secondary or continuation funds instantly mark those loans up to their NAV, inflating reported returns without reflecting true economic value....
April 2026 S&P Gains 10% Amid War, Optimism Returns
In April 2026, US equities saw light in the midst of war and chaos. The S&P 500 rose 10.43%, its best month since April 2020, coming of COVID lows, and the ERP for the index dropped to 4.37%. The market...
Netweb Technologies Q4 Results: Revenue Leaps 90%, Profit After Tax Jumps to ₹706 Million, up 66% YoY — Key...
Netweb Technologies reported FY26 full‑year revenue of ₹21.8 bn (≈$263 m), a 90% jump from the prior year. Q4 revenue reached ₹7.74 bn (≈$93 m) and profit after tax rose 66% to ₹706 m (≈$8.5 m), delivering a 9% PAT margin. The AI Systems segment exploded...
Forecasting Success Lies in Repeatable Systems, Not One‑off Models
A few years ago I showed a forecasting model to a VP of supply chain. The accuracy was good. I was proud of it. She looked at it for about 10 seconds and asked one question. "Can you run this again next month?" I...
I Mapped Every Major Startup Credit Program for 2026. Most Founders Are Leaving $500K+ on the Table
Deepak Gupta mapped every major startup credit program for 2026 and found that most founders leave $500,000 or more on the table. He built a free, public directory that lists verified cloud, AI, fintech, and SaaS perks, organized into four...
78-Year-Old Furniture Company Stops Production, Plans Bankruptcy
eSolutions Furniture Group, the parent of Bestar, Bush Furniture and Bush Business Furniture, has halted manufacturing and will seek court‑appointed receivership and bankruptcy filing on May 4. The decision follows three months of declining home‑furnishings sales—0.31% in January, 0.27% in February...
Newmont: $100 Oil Weighs, Gold Falls, But Profit Trends Are Sublime
Newmont Corp. posted record first‑quarter results, delivering $2.90 non‑GAAP EPS on $7.3 billion revenue and $3.1 billion free cash flow, while launching a $6 billion share‑repurchase program. Despite these strengths, the stock trades about 20% below its January peak as gold prices slip...
Fluor Has Finished Selling Its NuScale Power Stock. You Won't Believe How Much It Made.
Fluor has fully exited its equity position in NuScale Power, selling 126 million shares for $2.43 billion. The sale turned a $570 million investment into a 326% gain and removes a volatile pre‑revenue asset from Fluor's books. Proceeds will be used to cut...
Leveraged Treasuries Offer Minimal Return, Low Sharpe
With fixed pay legs of 10 Year swaps recieving 3.93% with swap spread at 43bp with Kim term premium at 65bp Leveraged bond buyers only get 23bp of expected return vs cash. This on a 5% vol item. Sharpe Ratio...
Use Berkshire Cash to Acquire Palantir, Transform Into AI Juggernaut
greg abel should blow his load of berkshire hathaway cash to buy palantir bring them into every company in the holdco and portfolio and remake berkshire into an ai native operating juggernaut
Accounting for Internal-Use Software (#394)
In this episode, Steve Bragg explains the new accounting guidance for internally developed software, which replaces the old stage‑based model with a simple recognition threshold that requires management commitment and a probable completion. He outlines how to assess development uncertainty—technological...
Reverse Carry Trade Explained: Oil, Yen, Japan Insights
I have been quiet long enough. This is perhaps the most important thread on X ever published. And the most powerful and impactful comic book you will ever read. If you want to understand the reverse carry trade, bookmark this. Oil, Yen, Japan,...
Berkshire's Cash Swells to $400B Amid 14 Quarters Net Selling
Buffett's Cash Position is now near $400B - 14 straight quarters of net selling*, Berkshire exited another $8B of stocks in Q1. *(bought ~$16B, sold ~$24B), data from official earnings/10-Q and 13F-related disclosures. https://t.co/btLzzDvF3e
58-Year-Old Outdoor Retailer Nears Chapter 11 Filing
West Marine, the United States' largest boating retailer, is preparing a possible Chapter 11 filing as it wrestles with weakening discretionary demand and costly lease obligations. The company has entered restructuring talks with its owners, Oaktree Capital Management and L...
Berkshire's $397B War Chest Could Snap Up Mega‑Cap Targets
Berkshire Hathaway is sitting on $397B of cash (added ~1/2 in the past 18 months). Here are companies they could just YOLO that are in the ballpark of that amount: $414B (Caterpillar) $388B (Netflix) $363B (Cisco) $345B (Palantir) $323B (Home Depot) $262B (LVMH) $1B (Wendy’s) https://t.co/7leSWmhfnK
Anthropic Poised to Hit $900B with Negative Cash Flow
If the rumored Anthropic at $900 billion round goes through, Anthropic will be the first company in history to cross the $900 billion mark with negative Free Cash Flow. Which is just an interesting data point is all. https://t.co/hYHA0npZye
DEA Notifies FDI Easing for Foreign Cos with up to 10 Pc Chinese Stake Under FEMA
India’s Finance Ministry has eased foreign direct investment rules, allowing overseas companies with up to a 10 percent Chinese or Hong Kong shareholding to invest via the automatic route under FEMA. The change, approved by the Union Cabinet in March, shifts the...
Early Success Hinges on Usage Frequency, Not Revenue
What’s the most important metric early on? Not revenue. For Inhouse, it’s usage frequency: 👉 ~4 legal needs per SMB per year 👉 That frequency helped unlock their seed round Episode 248 is live 👇 https://t.co/NXvJ9ucWeW #SaaS #Startups #VC https://t.co/EJIHao6VL7
Spirit's Debt Crisis Undermined Value, Merger Might Have Helped
Was Spirit Airlines Roomba-ed®? Did debt levels make Spirit walking dead? Would the JetBlue merger have made the end less painful for employees of Spirit and Spirit shareholders/debt holders? Did Spirit have any pricing power? Anyone. Anyone. Bueller?...
Fire Sale: What Assets Does Spirit Have and Who Could Buy Them?
Spirit Airlines announced it will cease operations after a failed government bailout, placing its entire portfolio of assets up for sale. The carrier’s liquidation filing values aircraft and engines at about $1.3 billion, parts at $167 million, LaGuardia slots at $86.7 million, and...
Apple’s $732B Buyback Dwarfs 488 S&P 500 Firms
Apple has bought back $732 billion in stock over the past 10 years, which is greater than the market cap of 488 companies in the S&P 500. $AAPL https://t.co/l5IYmkf6Ih https://t.co/dSTt9FzbyM
Bots Beat Human Traders in Prediction Markets
Finance Professor Josh Della Vedova talks new report bots are outperforming traders in prediction markets https://t.co/fwHPf4KYWV
FinMin Notifies 100% FDI in Insurance; LIC Cap Stays at 20%
India’s Finance Ministry has issued a notification permitting up to 100 percent foreign direct investment in insurance companies, while keeping the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) capped at 20 percent foreign ownership. The change follows the 2025 Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha...
President Stubbornly Frames Spirit Rescue as Creditor Issue
Duffy: The president was like a dog on a bone trying to keep Spirit alive: "This was a creditor issue"
Google Is Now a Glorified Venture-Capital Fund Thanks to Its SpaceX and A...
Google reported first‑quarter net income of $62.6 billion, an 81% year‑over‑year jump, with more than half ($36.9 billion) coming from unrealized gains on equity stakes. The gains are largely attributed to its early investments in SpaceX and AI startup Anthropic. Analysts say...
Thyssenkrupp, Jindal Steel Pause Talks on Steel Unit Stake
Thyssenkrupp AG announced it is pausing negotiations with Jindal Steel International over a potential stake in its steel division. The German firm said the original assumptions and prerequisites for a sale have shifted dramatically in recent months. Both parties agreed...
Navigating Change with Confidence
On 18 May 2026, senior women in finance will gather at Oracle’s Helicon headquarters in London for “Navigating Change with Confidence.” The free, half‑day session targets CFOs, finance directors and senior finance leaders confronting funding pressure, fragmented data systems, and...
CDSL Q4 Profit Slips to ₹80 Cr, Demat Accounts Cross 18 Cr
Central Depository Services (India) Ltd (CDSL) posted a Q4 net profit of ₹80 crore (≈ $9.6 million), down from ₹100 crore a year earlier, while total income rose modestly to ₹268 crore (≈ $32.3 million). For the full FY 2025‑26, profit fell to ₹455 crore (≈ $54.8 million) versus ₹526 crore previously,...
Perella Weinberg Q1 Revenue Falls 30% to $149 Million, Raising Wealth‑Management Concerns
Perella Weinberg Partners posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $149 million, a 30% drop from a year earlier. The boutique bank blamed extended mandate timelines and macro‑driven deal delays, while pointing to a two‑year high backlog and a new U.K. acquisition as...