Today's Finance Pulse
SpaceX’s $75B IPO could value the rocket maker at $1.75T
SpaceX is preparing a historic IPO that could raise about $75 billion, valuing the company near $1.75 trillion. Investor demand is reported to top $150 billion despite the firm remaining loss‑making with projected 2025 revenue of $18.67 billion. The offering arrives amid an AI‑driven rally that has pushed the Nasdaq‑100 to roughly 35.7× earnings.
Also developing:
Philippine Banks Keep Lending Rules Unchanged Despite War Impact
A quarterly survey of senior loan officers shows that most Philippine banks will keep lending standards unchanged in Q2 2026 for both business and household loans. About 61.5% of banks see business loan criteria staying the same, while 65.7% expect no change for household credit. Diffusion‑index calculations, however, reveal a modest net tightening of roughly 23% for both loan categories. Overall loan demand is projected to remain stable, with a slight net increase for business borrowing despite the Middle East conflict’s global fallout.
BSP Directs Financial Firms to Do Cyber Self-Checks
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued Circular No. 1232 requiring all supervised banks and financial institutions to conduct regular cyber self‑assessments using a new Cybersecurity Maturity Framework and Control Self‑Assessment tool. Firms must submit an initial assessment within 60 days...
RSM Highlights Hidden Impact of State and Local Taxes on REIT Performance
Saham Muliyil, senior manager of state and local real estate tax at RSM US LLP, warned that state and local taxes (SALT) can materially affect REIT performance across development, operation, and disposition phases. Many investors mistakenly believe REITs are insulated...
Fed Prepares New Playbook to Support Bank AI Adoption
The Federal Reserve’s Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman announced a new supervisory playbook aimed at guiding banks through AI adoption. In a May 1 speech she cited Anthropic’s Mythos model, which can both strengthen and threaten cybersecurity, as a catalyst...
Where Premiums Will Be Paid: Fashion & Beauty M&A Trends From 2025 to 2026
2025 saw a wave of high‑profile fashion and beauty M&A, highlighted by Prada’s €1.25 billion (~$1.36 billion) acquisition of Versace, Caleres’ $105 million purchase of Stuart Weitzman, and e.l.f. Beauty’s $1 billion deal for Rhode. The transactions underscore a shift from pure brand prestige to...
Meta Shares Plunge Over 10% as AI Capex Outlook Sparks Buying Debate
Meta Platforms Inc. saw its stock tumble up to 10% on Thursday, the steepest decline in six months, after announcing a $125‑$145 billion AI‑focused capital‑expenditure plan. Analysts are split on whether the dip creates a short‑term buying chance or signals deeper...
Crocs Q1 Revenue Falls 2% as DTC Momentum Slows, Outlook Adjusted
Crocs Inc. reported a 2% drop in first‑quarter 2026 revenue, driven by a slowdown in direct‑to‑consumer sales and pressure from Middle East distribution constraints. The company raised its FY26 adjusted earnings outlook to $13.20‑$13.75 per share, signaling confidence in cost‑saving...
California Small Manufacturers Squeezed by Tariffs and Iran War Costs
California small manufacturers are feeling the pinch from renewed U.S. tariffs and the fallout of the Iran conflict. Owner Nichole MacDonald reports sales down 50% and raw‑material costs up 25%, while port officials warn surcharges are now being passed to...
Exponent Posts 14% Revenue Rise, Announces New President Amid Strong Consulting Demand
Exponent (EXPO) posted a 14% jump in first‑quarter revenue to $166.3 million and a 15% increase in EBITDA to $43.1 million. The firm also announced that John Pye will assume the presidency on May 1, while expanding its share‑repurchase program, underscoring a bullish...
CDS Notional Tops $8 Trillion as Cleared Volumes Jump 28.8%
Credit‑default‑swap (CDS) notional climbed 12.9% to $8.1 trillion in the week to March 20, crossing the $8 trillion threshold for the first time since 2015. Cleared CDS volumes surged 28.8% to $5.9 trillion, lifting the clearing rate to 73% and setting a new market...
SPS Commerce Q1 Revenue Rises 6% as Amazon Recovery Boosts B2B Platform
SPS Commerce reported Q1 2026 revenue of $192.1 million, up 6% year‑over‑year, as Amazon‑related sales rebounded. The B2B SaaS firm highlighted 7% recurring‑revenue growth, a new $19.99 monthly fee for low‑revenue 3P sellers, and a $47.1 million share‑repurchase program, underscoring its scalable...
FASAB Proposes Expedient for Embedded Leases
The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) released an exposure draft proposing a practical expedient for embedded leases in federal contracts. Under the draft, eligible contracts could be accounted for as non‑leases, simplifying reporting and allowing group treatment of similar...
Banamex Returns to Global Bond Market After Citi Stake Sale
Mexico's Grupo Financiero Banamex has issued global bonds for the first time since Citigroup started offloading its stake in the bank. The move marks a re‑entry into international debt markets, though the size and pricing of the issue were not...
ProPetro COO Adam Muñoz Tackles Cost Cuts as Q1 Revenue Falls 7%
ProPetro (PUMP) posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $271 million, a 7% sequential decline, and a net loss of $4 million. COO Adam Muñoz detailed a multi‑pronged effort to tighten the cost structure, accelerate fleet utilization and fund a $540‑$610 million capital program, especially...
Ares Management Raises $30 Billion in Q1, Easing Private‑Credit Fears
Ares Management announced a record $30 billion of new capital in the first quarter, the largest fundraising haul for any private‑credit manager this year. The influx, driven by institutional investors, is seen as a vote of confidence that tempers recent negative...
Canopy Launches Canopy Coworker
Canopy, a Lehi‑based practice‑management platform, unveiled Canopy Coworker, an AI‑driven execution layer that automates multistep workflows across its CRM, document‑management, and billing modules. The tool enables autonomous client onboarding, proactive scope‑creep detection, regulatory deadline cascading, missing‑document audits, and capacity planning...
Park Hotels & Resorts Posts $11 M Q1 Profit, Core RevPAR Up 5% YoY
Park Hotels & Resorts announced a $11 million net income for Q1 2026, driven by more than 5% year‑over‑year growth in core RevPAR. The REIT also sold two non‑core hotels for $31 million and invested $83 million in capital improvements, underscoring its focus...
Mastercard CFO Mehra Highlights 12% Revenue Rise and $5.7B Share Buybacks in Q1 2026
Mastercard’s chief financial officer, Sachin Mehra, said the payments giant posted a 12% year‑over‑year rise in net revenue to $8.39 billion in Q1 2026, with net income climbing 15% to $3.88 billion. The company accelerated share repurchases, buying back $5.7 billion of stock,...
Eli Lilly Q1 2026 EPS $8.55 Beats Forecast, Revenue $19.8B Tops Estimates
Eli Lilly reported first‑quarter 2026 earnings of $8.55 per share and $19.8 billion in revenue, outpacing analyst forecasts by 22.7% and 12.5% respectively. The beat lifted the stock 5.96% in pre‑market trade and prompted an upward revision of full‑year revenue guidance...
Teleflex Names Jason Weidman CEO, Launches $1 B Buyback, $800 M Debt Cut
Teleflex announced Jason Weidman as its new president and CEO and outlined a $1 billion share‑buyback and $800 million debt‑paydown strategy. The move signals a leadership shift aimed at accelerating growth in interventional and critical‑care markets while reshaping the balance sheet.
Analyst Ups Kratos Defense Stock on New $231.5M Marine Contract and Space Force Deal
An investment analyst has raised a buy rating on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions after the company secured a $231.5 million U.S. Marine Corps contract for Valkyrie drones and a $446.8 million Space Force missile‑warning contract. The analyst cites accelerating revenue, expanding...
Big Insurance Backs Away From AI Risk and Startups Rush In
Major insurers including Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb and Travelers have secured state regulator approval to carve AI‑related damages out of standard liability policies, with more than 80% of requests approved in states such as Florida, Connecticut and Maryland. The new ISO...
Shell's 2025 Profit Drops 22% as Oil Price Rout Slashes Earnings
Shell said underlying earnings fell 22% to $18.53 billion for 2025 as Brent crude slid below $60 a barrel. The oil major announced a $3.5 billion share‑buyback and a 4% dividend increase, but its shares slipped more than 2% on the news.
Congress Ends 76‑Day DHS Shutdown with $70 B Funding Bill
The House approved a bipartisan measure that funds the Department of Homeland Security and ends a 76‑day shutdown, while earmarking $70 billion for immigration enforcement through a separate budget reconciliation track. Lawmakers praised the deal as overdue, but the split‑track approach...
Groove Quantum Secures €16 M and Unveils World’s Largest 18‑Qubit Spin‑Qubit Processor
Groove Quantum announced a €16 million ($18.7 M) funding round and showcased an 18‑qubit germanium spin‑qubit processor, the largest semiconductor spin‑qubit chip to date. The capital, split between a €10 million seed round and €6 million in EU grants, will fund a move toward...
Anthropic Eyes $50 B Raise that Could Push Valuation to $900 B
Anthropic is in talks for a $40‑$50 B capital raise that could lift its post‑money valuation to $850‑$900 B, more than double its February figure. The move comes as the company’s annual revenue run rate climbs past $30 B and investors scramble for...
Pearson Posts 4% Q1 Sales Rise, Powered by 21% Virtual Learning Surge
Pearson reported a 4% increase in underlying group sales for Q1 2026, driven by a 21% surge in virtual learning and an 8% rise in enterprise learning & skills. The results underscore the company's B2B momentum in education technology and...
Ramp Rolls Out AI Agents for Procurement
Ramp unveiled AI‑driven procurement agents that automate request intake, vendor sourcing, contract review and compliance checks. The agents leverage anonymized pricing data from millions of transactions, giving a 200‑person firm the same benchmark power as a Fortune 500. Ramp reports customers...
Apple Just Gave a Clue that an AI Acquisition May Be in the Cards
Apple announced it will drop its long‑standing net‑cash‑neutral target, giving the company more flexibility to use cash and debt for strategic initiatives. The shift accompanies a 23.7% rise in operating costs and a 33.6% jump in R&D as Apple ramps...
The Strategic Rise of Tax in AI-Driven E-Commerce
Vertex’s Chief Technology Officer Sal Visca explains that AI‑driven e‑commerce is dramatically accelerating transaction speed and complexity, turning tax from a back‑office function into a strategic business imperative. Real‑time, automated purchases demand tax systems that can calculate rates instantly while...
Build a Solid Data Foundation Before AI Layer
CFOs, boring stuff first; sexy stuff second. We've been talking about data and data structure since the release of on-premise software. This is how I'm thinking of the progression of our data structure for SaaS FP&A and SaaS metrics. I've...
Untitled
Internal auditors are confronting a growing, under‑examined risk: AI hallucinations, which manifest as factual errors, fabricated citations, or flawed reasoning. Recent court sanctions against lawyers who relied on generative AI illustrate the tangible legal and financial fallout of unchecked outputs....
Judge's Ruling Is Likely to Scuttle San Diego Credit Union Merger
A San Diego County Superior Court judge denied California Coast Credit Union’s request for a preliminary injunction, effectively ending the planned merger with San Diego County Credit Union. The dispute stemmed from SDCCU’s attempt to rewrite the deal, including replacing...
Alpine Banks of Colorado Announces Financial Results for First Quarter 2026
Alpine Banks of Colorado posted unaudited Q1 2026 results showing net income of $20.2 million, up from $14.3 million a year earlier, and basic earnings per share of $1.26. Net interest margin improved to 3.72% on a tax‑equivalent basis, while total assets reached...
Prioritize Real-Time Business Threats Over Mere Documentation
I keep coming back to this: The goal is not to document risk. The goal is to understand what could actually hurt the business today.
KBRA Releases Research – The Forward Look—European and UK Credit Views: Q2 2026
KBRA’s Q2 2026 European and UK Credit Views report, authored by macro strategist Gordon Kerr, examines how the Iran‑Hormuz conflict and rising commodity prices are reshaping Europe’s credit outlook. The analysis highlights heightened stagflation risks, delayed growth recovery, and tighter...
The Outbreak of Warsh
The episode examines the revival of Gulf public bond issuance after a two‑month war‑induced pause, highlighted by Emirates NBD’s $750 million AT1 bond that priced at 6.25% and attracted a $2 billion order book with roughly 24% international demand. Analysts discuss why...
CTC and Intercompany Transactions: The Hidden Risk Multinationals Can’t Ignore
Continuous Transaction Control (CTC) mandates are forcing multinational firms to scrutinize intercompany trades that were previously overlooked. Vice President Kathya Capote Peimbert warns that excluding these internal transactions from CTC scope creates VAT exposure and weakens audit defensibility. The article highlights...
Moody's Ratings Lowers Missouri's Outlook to Negative
Moody's Ratings kept Missouri’s Aaa issuer rating but shifted its outlook from stable to negative, citing a large structural deficit and declining fund balances. The outlook change impacts roughly $1.8 billion of the state’s outstanding debt and includes a new Aa2...
Warner Bros CFO Awarded Salary Hike Amid Paramount Deal Pushback
Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels will see his base salary increase to $2.5 million and receive a one‑time $2 million RSU award under a new contract extending to April 2028. His total 2025 compensation was $17.7 million, with a 175% bonus opportunity and...
Invesco REIT Takes Loss as Iran Volatility Hits Agency MBS
Invesco Mortgage Capital reported a Q1 GAAP loss of $23.1 million, missing analysts’ expectation of a modest $1.26 million profit. Despite the loss, the REIT generated $44.71 million in earnings available for distribution, outpacing the $40.46 million consensus. CEO Kevin Collins attributed the underperformance...
Former Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s New Startup Lays Groundwork for Public Listing
Juno Industries, co‑founded by former defence minister Harjit Sajjan, raised C$12 million (≈US$9 million) by selling 15 million subscription receipts at C$0.80 each. The receipts will convert into shares after a planned reverse takeover of TSXV capital‑pool company Trailblazer Capital Corp, paving the...
Banks 'Fairly, but Not Totally' Satisfied with Basel Rule
Federal regulators have finalized a revised Basel III endgame capital proposal that banks view as a workable, more durable framework. Industry leaders say they are "fairly, but not totally" satisfied and are pushing for targeted tweaks, especially around double‑counting and G‑SIB...
Roblox Shares Dive on Slower User Growth
Roblox’s stock tumbled after the company slashed its full‑year bookings outlook, citing short‑term user‑growth friction from newly introduced age‑verification and child‑safety features. Despite a strong quarter—bookings jumped 43% year‑on‑year to $1.7 billion—the rollout now covers only 65% of U.S. users, leaving...
Jacksonville Aviation Authority Bringing $222 Million Next Week
Jacksonville Aviation Authority will price $221.7 million of alternate minimum tax‑eligible aviation revenue bonds next week, marking the airport's first publicly available bond issuance in two decades. The bonds are led by J.P. Morgan and co‑managed by BofA Securities, Ramirez & Co., and RBC...
Stablecoins Grew Up. Now Come the Rules
Stablecoins are moving from niche experiments to mainstream finance as Visa expanded its settlement pilot to nine blockchains, reaching a $7 billion annual run rate, while Meta began offering stablecoin payouts to creators. FinTech OnePay teamed with the Tempo blockchain to...
Big Tech Funding Capex by Burning Free Cash
Under the radar and bears watching: Forward earnings expansion financed by FCF destruction. “Alphabet: $73B FCF in 2025, guiding $180–190B capex in 2026. Meta raised its 2026 range to $125–145B against $44B trailing FCF. Amazon TTM FCF compressed ~95% to...
Independent Review: Is OneStream Right for Your CPM Needs?
CFOs and finance pros: Corporate performance management tech is crucial. OneStream is a leading CPM solution. Is it right for your organization? Let's dive into an independent overview. #CPM #FinanceTech https://t.co/0YWqrdTT3X
Modernize Fixed Income Portfolios With Income Alternatives
Advisors are expanding traditional fixed‑income portfolios by adding specialized income alternatives, with over 80% planning satellite positions in Q2, according to VettaFi data. Options‑based ETFs are being used by 35.8% of advisors to lower volatility and lift yields, while active...
Monthly Chart Shows TLT Outperforming Value Pitches
a few monthly charts i thought i'd share... #monthlycharts although there have been many pitching U.S. treasury (bonds) for value, the chart speaks... $TLT https://t.co/3VMEeufVcn