HSBC Earnings Out, Upper End of Estimates. Also HK Budget Out
HSBC reported a 7.4% year‑on‑year drop in 2025 profit before tax to US$29.907 billion, landing near the top of its forecast range. Basic earnings per share were US$1.21 and the bank declared a fourth interim dividend of US$0.45, bringing the total 2025 payout to US$0.75, slightly above analyst expectations. For 2026, HSBC plans to rebuild its Common Equity Tier 1 ratio before resuming share buy‑backs and targets a RoTE of 17% or higher through 2028. Revenue growth is projected to accelerate, reaching a 5% year‑on‑year increase by 2028 on a constant‑currency basis.
Starving the Watchdog
Congress has stripped more than $40 billion of IRS funding authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening the agency’s capacity to combat cross‑border financial crime. IRS Criminal Investigation referrals fell to a 40‑year low in FY2024, and its special‑agent force has...
Gibson Dunn Discusses CFIUS’ Known Investor Program
On February 6, 2026, CFIUS issued a request for information (RFI) to refine its Known Investor Program (KIP), a fast‑track review mechanism for repeat foreign investors in U.S. advanced‑technology sectors. The RFI outlines eligibility thresholds—at least three covered filings in...
MOZAYYX Acquisition Corp. (MZYX.U) Prices Upsized $261M IPO
MOZAYYX Acquisition Corp. priced an upsized $261 million IPO, with units slated to begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker MZYX.U on February 25, 2026. The SPAC, led by CEO and CFO Benjamin Zucker, will seek a merger in high‑growth sectors such...
The Stock Market and AI
Wall Street’s recent AI anxiety sparked a sharp selloff in software stocks, pushing many private tech firms to postpone IPOs as investors anticipate a handful of mega‑offerings to dominate the market. A viral Citrini Research report amplified fears, warning that...
The Shadow Ledger: Uncovering the Financial Cost of Nursing Turnover
A new analysis reveals the massive hidden cost of nursing turnover, dubbed the “shadow ledger,” with replacement expenses averaging $61,110 and annual hospital losses up to $5.7 million. The piece quantifies related waste, including $18.27 billion in workplace‑violence costs and billions in...
Guest Contribution: “Understanding Bond-Stock Price Comovements”
The article examines how Treasury bond returns move together with U.S. stock returns, showing that comovement has shifted from positive in the 1980s to negative in the 2000s and back to positive after 2022. Using rolling 90‑day regressions on daily...
Bloomberg Pro Tips: Fast-Forward Your Credit Research with CRAN
Bloomberg’s latest Pro Tips episode demonstrates how analysts can accelerate issuer credit research using CRAN, the Credit Research Analysis tool on the Bloomberg Terminal. The tutorial walks users through data retrieval, rating analysis, and key financial metrics in minutes. Bloomberg...
Spirit Reaches Deal to Exit Second Bankruptcy
Spirit Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its creditors to emerge from its second Chapter 11 filing by late spring or early summer 2026. The restructuring plan promises a leaner cost base, a right‑sized fleet, higher aircraft utilization, and...
US Insurers Remain Optimistic on Investment Conditions for 2026: Conning
U.S. insurers remain optimistic about 2026 investment conditions, with 76% of survey respondents seeing improving opportunities despite expectations of higher inflation, tighter liquidity and lower Fed rates. The optimism is driven by higher yields on high‑quality fixed‑income securities and attractive...
Managing Mining, Oil and Gas for National Development
The Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford, in partnership with the Natural Resource Governance Institute, has launched a five‑day executive programme titled “Managing Mining, Oil and Gas for National Development.” Applications open on 2 March 2026, targeting senior leaders from government, industry,...
2026 Investment Banker Salary and Bonus Report: To the Senior Bankers Go the Spoils
The 2025‑2026 compensation update shows investment banking pay diverging by seniority. While total compensation rose modestly for analysts (≈5%) and associates (≈5‑10%), vice presidents and directors saw 10‑15% gains and managing directors enjoyed over 25% increases, often exceeding $1 million. Deal...
The Rising Tide of AI-Washing Cases in Securities Fraud Litigation
Public companies are increasingly inflating AI capabilities to attract investors, a practice dubbed AI‑washing that has sparked a surge in securities fraud litigation. Recent cases such as Opendoor and Upstart illustrate how exaggerated AI claims led to false statements, stock...
PIF Unit Jada to Ramp up Private Credit as Stride Targets $200m Saudi Deployment
Saudi sovereign wealth fund unit Jada is expanding its private‑credit footprint, partnering with India‑based Stride Ventures to deploy $200 million in the kingdom over the next two years. The initiative targets small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises as local banks curb new lending....
PBO’s Migration Analysis Doesn’t Add Up
The Australian newspaper cited the Parliamentary Budget Office’s (PBO) budget tool to challenge One Nation’s proposal to cap visas at 130,000 annually and achieve net‑zero immigration. The PBO‑based analysis estimates a $100 billion loss in federal revenue over the next decade,...
The IPO Buzz: Medtronic’s MiniMed (MMED Proposed) Sets Terms for $742 Million IPO
Medtronic’s MiniMed spin‑off has filed its IPO prospectus, proposing to sell 28 million shares at $25‑$28 each to raise roughly $742 million, valuing the company at about $7.44 billion. The NASDAQ listing will be led by Goldman Sachs, BofA Securities, Citigroup and Morgan...
The Alternative Data Arms Race: Why Hedge Funds Are Spending More Than Ever:
In 2026 hedge funds are pouring tens of millions of dollars into alternative data, turning information velocity into a core competitive lever. AI-driven analytics have lowered the barrier to processing vast datasets—from satellite imagery to web traffic—shifting the edge toward...
Want More Public Companies? Encourage More Stock Repurchases
The SEC’s new leadership is targeting the 40 percent decline in U.S. public companies by easing regulatory burdens, especially those that hinder share repurchases. It proposes reforming the safe‑harbor under Rule 10b‑18 to make buybacks more accessible to mid‑cap firms. Currently, the...
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. (CTAAU) Prices $125M IPO
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. priced its $125 million initial public offering on February 24, 2026, with units slated to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker CTAAU. The SPAC is focused on merging with a financial‑services company operating in the United States and...
Caledonia Lines Up US$150m Local Bank Facility to Drive Bilboes Development
Caledonia Mining has appointed Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe and CBZ Bank as co‑lead arrangers for an up to US$150 million interim financing facility, expected to close by mid‑2026. The bridge loan complements a recent US$150 million convertible notes offering, a gold‑price hedging programme,...
No Exit, No Problem? How Asset Owners Can Tame Illiquidity Risk
The share of private‑debt, infrastructure and other illiquid alternatives has surged among institutional and wealth‑management portfolios, driven by regulatory changes and the search for higher risk‑adjusted returns. However, the absence of deep secondary markets and stale pricing creates cash‑flow uncertainty,...
Planning for a Changing Tax Landscape: Insights From Avalara’s VP of Government Relations
Avalara’s Vice President of Government Relations, Scott Peterson, warns that the 2026 tax environment will be dominated by state‑level changes rather than federal adjustments. New sales‑tax regimes in Iowa, Kentucky and Alaska, along with broader service‑tax experiments in Maryland, signal...
How To Prepare for Tax Season: Tax Prep for Ecommerce
The article provides a step‑by‑step guide for ecommerce owners to prepare for U.S. tax season, highlighting the added complexity of multistate sales‑tax, 1099‑K reporting, digital product rules, and international VAT obligations. It explains filing deadlines for sole proprietorships, partnerships and...
The True Global Market-Cap Weighted Portfolio: Gold as 3rd Largest Asset Class?
A WisdomTree chart shows a truly global market‑cap weighted portfolio composed of roughly 50% equities, 30% fixed income, and a surprisingly high 12.7% gold, making gold the third‑largest asset class. The analysis estimates the total market value of gold at...
Cayman Reinsurance Assets Surpass $100bn, Says Cayman Finance
Cayman Finance reports that the Cayman Islands’ reinsurance sector has surged, with licensed companies increasing from 58 to 113 and total assets exceeding $101 billion at the end of 2025. Premiums written grew from $9.3 bn in 2020 to $30.2 bn, driven largely...
Newly Launched Ancient Financial to Acquire Bermuda-Based F&G Re
Ancient Financial, a newly formed life‑and‑annuity reinsurance and asset‑management platform, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bermuda‑based reinsurer F&G Re, which will be rebranded as Ancient Re upon closing. The acquisition is underpinned by substantial equity from its parent...
Meet ASKB: A First Look at the Future of the Bloomberg Terminal in the Age of Agentic AI
Bloomberg unveiled ASKB, a conversational AI interface now in beta on the Bloomberg Terminal, aiming to accelerate investment research. The agentic system taps Bloomberg’s massive data, news, and research libraries, delivering answers with transparent source attribution and even the underlying...
Comment Letter on Nasdaq’s Proposed Additional Initial Listing Criteria for Companies Primarily Operating in China
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) submitted a comment letter backing Nasdaq’s proposed rule that adds initial listing criteria for Chinese micro‑cap companies, including a $25 million minimum proceeds requirement. CII applauds the effort to curb abnormal trading in the smallest...
Comment Letter on Nasdaq’s Proposed Additional Initial Listing Criteria for Companies Primarily Operating in China
The Council of Institutional Investors (CII) submitted a comment letter supporting Nasdaq’s proposed rule that adds an initial listing requirement of at least $25 million in proceeds for companies primarily operating in China. While endorsing the rule’s aim to curb abnormal...
Reliance, Misplaced: Restoring the Text of the Antifraud Provisions of the Federal Securities Laws in SEC Enforcement Actions
The SEC enforces the broad antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws as powerful tools, often proceeding without showing that investors relied on deceptive statements. Historically, the Commission has treated reliance as irrelevant, a stance rooted in a 1949 dicta...
Back to Basics: 14 Risk Oversight Rules You Know (But May Be Ignoring)
Jim DeLoach’s article revisits 14 timeless risk‑oversight principles, urging leaders to refresh them with today’s digital capabilities. He stresses that avoiding risk is itself a risk, and that AI, machine learning, and real‑time data can dramatically improve early‑warning systems. The...
SEC Quietly Eases Capital Rules for Stablecoins
The SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets issued guidance allowing broker‑dealers to apply a 2% haircut to proprietary holdings of payment stablecoins when calculating net capital. Previously many firms used a 100% haircut, effectively excluding stablecoins from regulatory capital. By...
Converts: PIPE and Pre-IPO Considerations
A recent Cleary memo highlights a surge in convertible‑note issuances driven by the AI boom, with private‑placement (PIPE) and pre‑IPO converts adopting highly customized terms. Features now include governance and consent rights, guarantees, financial covenants, prepayment provisions, anti‑dilution ratchets, equity...
InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor – February 23, 2026
The InsideArbitrage Event Driven Monitor reports several key regulatory and corporate developments on February 23, 2026. Paramount Pictures cleared the 10‑day HSR waiting period and secured German approval for its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, while the FTC terminated...
How I Acquired 4 Businesses Without Wiring My Own Capital
In this episode, M&A expert Sebastian H. Amieva explains how he acquired four businesses without using his own cash by leveraging seller financing, senior debt, and equity partners. He emphasizes the importance of early preparation—defining clear acquisition criteria, cultivating lender...
How to Calculate ROI for AI Investments (2026) – Shopify
The episode breaks down how ecommerce businesses can accurately calculate AI ROI by defining a clear formula, accounting for both direct financial gains and indirect benefits such as risk mitigation, operational efficiencies, and data‑related costs. It highlights why AI ROI...
✈️New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Avenger Flight Group LLC✈️
The episode breaks down Avenger Flight Group LLC’s recent Chapter 11 filing, detailing its rapid expansion into a global network of flight simulators and the massive debt that financed that growth, including a $155 million term loan and various secured leases....
💥New Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing - Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC💥
The episode examines Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC’s recent Chapter 11 sale filing, tracing its roots back to the 1916-founded R.T. Vanderbilt Company and its evolution from paper clay mining to industrial talc production. It highlights the long‑standing regulatory challenges with OSHA...
Can Private Litigation Hold Auditors to Account?
The episode examines the rising trend of private litigation as a tool to hold audit firms accountable, sparked by concerns over potential SEC Chairman Paul Atkins' moves to weaken the PCAOB. Host Francine McKenna references her Substack post and discusses...
LARCH CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC - Filing for Period Ending 12/31/2025
Larch Capital Partners, a Miami‑based advisory firm, reported $645.3 million in discretionary assets under management for the period ending December 31 2025, serving 323 clients. Its most recent 13F filing showed $729.1 million in managed securities, with a striking 93.6% concentration in the top...
FDI Feint Glorifies Global South Base
The episode examines recent trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) to emerging markets, noting that high‑frequency data shows a steady $10 billion per week inflow, while UNCTAD’s lagging figures report a 2% decline to $875 billion last year. It explores how short‑term...
SPAC IPO Terms Tracker: February 20, 2026
The SPAC IPO Terms Tracker for the week ending February 20, 2026 shows a modest rebound in special‑purpose acquisition company listings, with 12 new SPACs raising approximately $1.8 billion in aggregate. Median IPO size slipped to $150 million, down from $165 million the...
Michael Hudson: Destiny of Civilization – Financialization & Collapse
Michael Hudson argues that the shift from industrial capitalism to finance‑driven rentier capitalism has turned economic growth into rent extraction, eroding productivity and widening inequality. He traces the historical battle against landlord rents in 19th‑century Britain to today’s debt‑financed housing,...
Watch Me Build A Construction Draw Schedule (Updated Feb 2026)
The article walks readers through building a construction draw schedule that respects a typical capital stack of equity first, then debt, and finally an interest reserve. It highlights the iterative challenge of calculating the interest reserve when debt disbursements depend...
Endowment Lessons
The University of Chicago announced plans to sell its Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) for about $400 million, a modest price compared with its $11 billion endowment. The move reflects a broader financial strain: operating deficits have grown tenfold since...
Evaluating Joe Grundfest's Argument For Repealing the Shareholder Proposal Rule
In this episode, host Bainbridge critiques SEC Rule 14a-8, arguing it should be repealed or substantially reformed due to high costs, procedural flaws, and misuse, while proposing higher ownership thresholds and stricter materiality standards as alternatives. He then evaluates Joseph...
Airbus Takes $500M Hit as A220 Ramp Slows
Airbus recorded a $500 million impairment on its A220 program as the aircraft’s production ramp slowed and order growth lagged expectations. The write‑down reflects weaker cash‑flow projections and higher unit costs, casting doubt on the A220’s earnings contribution. CEO Guillaume Faury remains...