Umbrella Company Reforms: What Accountants Need to Know Ahead of April 2026
From 6 April 2026 new HMRC reforms will overhaul umbrella‑company arrangements, shifting PAYE responsibility from the umbrella operator to recruitment agencies or end clients. The measures target systemic tax avoidance, especially “mini‑umbrella” structures that fragment labour supply chains to dodge VAT and PAYE obligations. By tightening Companies House scrutiny and expanding criminal liability for facilitating tax evasion, the government aims to close loopholes that have cost the Exchequer billions. Accountants advising firms that use temporary workers must now reassess risk, due‑diligence processes, and contractual arrangements to ensure compliance under the stricter regime.
Airwallex Obtains E-Money and Class A Licences From Bank Negara Malaysia
Airwallex has secured both e‑money issuing and Class A licences from Bank Negara Malaysia, allowing it to offer a full suite of payment services in the country. The approvals expand its regulated footprint beyond its existing Class B Money Services Business licence...
UBS Receives Reassuring Signals From Swiss Parliament
Swiss parliamentarians have informally assured UBS that the government’s proposed "too‑big‑to‑fail" capital hike will be softened. The Federal Council’s draft would force UBS to raise roughly $22 billion in capital, a figure the bank argues threatens its competitiveness. Lawmakers indicated a...
IG Group Launches New Share Buyback Program
IG Group Holdings plc announced the execution of a £125 million (≈ $159 million) share buyback, appointing Morgan Stanley & Co. International to manage the programme. The buyback is split into two tranches of up to £62.5 million each, with the first tranche running from 1 April...
SEBI Algo Trading Norms Kick in Today: 2FA, Audit Trails for Brokers Now Mandatory
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has activated new algorithmic trading regulations, requiring brokers to maintain comprehensive audit trails for every automated trade. Mandatory two‑factor authentication, password‑expiry policies, and daily auto‑logout must secure API access. The rules also...
Govt Extends RoDTEP Benefits for Exporters Till September 30
The Indian government has extended the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme until September 30, 2026, keeping refund rates of 0.3%‑3.9% unchanged. The fiscal allocation for the program was reduced to roughly $1.2 billion for 2026‑27, far below the...
From Documents to Data: How AI Is Transforming the Future of Trade Finance
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping trade finance by automating document extraction, rule‑based decisioning, and real‑time error prevention. HSBC’s Trade Pulse Survey shows 38% of firms already use AI, with another 46% planning adoption, accelerating predictive, near‑instant execution. Parallel regulatory advances—UNCITRAL’s...
Click Frenzy, Power Retail Enter Liquidation, Blaming Iran War
Click Frenzy and Power Retail, owned by Global Marketplace, entered liquidation after receivers were appointed, citing cash‑flow strain from the US‑Iran conflict. The two e‑commerce platforms together generated roughly $7 million in annual revenue and held sizable consumer bases. Wexted Advisors...
India Kept Out of Unilever's Global Food Deal
Unilever will leave its India operations out of the $44.8 billion merger with McCormick that creates a $20 billion‑revenue foods powerhouse. The Indian foods unit, which contributes roughly $1.8 billion in annual sales (about 22% of Hindustan Unilever’s total), will remain with the...
Is Europe Ripe for Recovery? MoneyWeek Talks
Europe has long trailed the United States in equity performance, prompting investors to question what conditions could spark a continental rebound. In a MoneyWeek interview, Daniel Avigad, manager of the TM Lansdowne European Special Situations fund, outlines where he sees...
Why It’s Crucial to Know What Local Government Really Costs
Local governments frequently obscure the true cost of services by aggregating expenses and omitting detailed, service‑level data. The article argues that making these costs visible—through tools like activity‑based costing, internal service funds, and full cost‑recovery fee studies—enables more efficient allocation...
Covenant Trends – 3/30/2026
Covenant Trends released its March 30, 2026 update, spotlighting the latest share of loans that contain asset‑sale sweep step‑down provisions. The accompanying chart shows a modest but steady rise in the percentage of such loans over the past two years, signaling lenders...
USD-Backed Stablecoins Fuel Nigeria’s Trade Amid FX Uncertainty
Fintech Verto’s CEO Ola Oyetayo says Nigeria’s recent naira volatility has pushed businesses toward USD‑backed stablecoins for cross‑border trade. Traditional banking liquidity dried up, prompting payment providers to use mixed local and global pools and dynamic pricing. The Central Bank...
T Capital Partners on Unlocking Value in Japan’s Mid-Market
T Capital Partners, led by Koji Sasaki and Toshihide Matsuda, is targeting Japan’s small and mid‑cap companies, which they view as ripe for operational transformation. The firm believes the mid‑market segment, often overlooked by larger private‑equity funds, holds significant upside...
From Processor to Partner: Juniper Square on Outsourcing Strategies
Juniper Square’s senior director of fund accounting, Dorota Kowalski, says private‑equity general partners must rethink outsourcing as market complexity rises. The firm is shifting its narrative from being a mere processor to a strategic partner that embeds technology and expertise...
KKR on How Capital Solutions Are a Structural Growth Opportunity
KKR’s Strategic Investments Group is championing capital‑solutions strategies that pair companies with flexible, partnership‑oriented financing. Blaine MacDougald, co‑head of the group, stresses that these solutions are built on aligned value creation, allowing firms to pursue growth without the constraints of traditional...
Arrow Global on How Operational Capability Underpins Success in Asset-Backed Investing
Arrow Global’s head of credit and lending, Toni McDermott, highlighted the firm’s operational‑centric strategy in private‑credit investing. He argued that a hands‑on approach to managing asset‑backed portfolios generates superior returns, especially when markets are stressed. By embedding operational expertise—such as restructuring,...
‘We Learned More in the Past Six Months than the Past Six Years’: Australian Battery Storage Lenders Navigate Merchant Risk
Australian battery‑storage lenders are rapidly adapting to a market now dominated by merchant‑risk projects, with banks like ING, Société Générale and the CEFC noting that operational and grid risks differ sharply from traditional solar contracts. The financing sweet spot has settled...
Download the Private Funds CFO Network’s Post-Event Guide to the New York Forum 2026
The Private Funds CFO Network has released a post‑event guide summarizing the 2026 New York CFO Forum. The guide captures the forum’s key takeaways, including how the CFO role is expanding beyond traditional finance functions. It stresses viewing artificial intelligence...
Download Private Funds CFO’s 2026 Future of Fund Services Report
Private Funds CFO released its 2026 Future of Fund Services report, examining how the industry is navigating regulatory, technological, and market‑driven change. The study outlines evolving outsourcing imperatives and profiles 16 rising finance professionals shaping the sector. Expert commentary from...
Navigating Private Funds’ Outsourcing Imperatives
Private fund CFOs are navigating an increasingly complex operating environment, where regulatory demands, market volatility, and talent shortages intersect. Simultaneously, the outsourcing landscape has broadened, offering options ranging from fund administration to advanced technology platforms. Heightened compliance pressures and cost...
New Approach to the DoD’s Long-Troubled Audit Effort Takes New Shape
The Department of Defense has failed seven federal audits, never earning a clean opinion, prompting continuous congressional pressure since 2012. Over 28 material weaknesses have obscured the tracking of its roughly $800 billion budget and massive inventory of weapons, aircraft, and...
What Your CFO Will Ask Before Approving Any Capital Investment
Preparing a capital investment proposal for a CFO requires answering a specific set of questions that go beyond the project’s merits. CFOs first ask for the cost of doing nothing, then demand transparent methodology, a clear payback period, evidence of...
FII Exodus Hits Record Rs 1.6 Lakh Crore in FY26 Despite Strong DII Cushion
Foreign investors withdrew a record $19 billion (≈₹1.6 lakh crore) from Indian equities in FY26, marking the second consecutive year of outflows. Domestic institutions countered the sell‑off with a historic $102 billion (≈₹8.5 lakh crore) inflow, led by mutual funds, pension funds and insurers. The rupee’s 4 %...
SEC Chair Atkins Calls for Simplifying Exec Comp Reporting
SEC Chair Paul Atkins announced plans to simplify executive compensation reporting under Item 402 of Regulation S‑K, calling current disclosures costly, burdensome, and filled with non‑material data. He highlighted pay‑versus‑performance metrics and executive security perks as priority areas for reform....
Revolut in Talks to Acquire Major Asian Bank
Revolut is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire an Asian bank to secure a full banking licence and accelerate its regional push. While a takeover of DBS Group is dismissed as financially impractical, analysts point to smaller digital‑only institutions as...
ABF-in-the-Spotlight
Asset‑Backed Finance (ABF), also known as specialty finance or structured private credit, leverages securitisation technology to fund esoteric and illiquid assets. In a recent interview, Kanav Kalia, chief sales officer at Oxane Partners, highlighted the firm’s role in scaling UK...
SGX to Launch Asia-Pacific Government Bond Futures- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) will debut Asia‑Pacific government bond futures on 20 April, covering sovereign bonds from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The contracts, margined and settled in US dollars, offer three maturities—three, five and ten years—based on FTSE Russell’s...
Penguin Solutions Inc (PENG) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Penguin Solutions reported Q1 fiscal 2026 revenue of $343 million, up 2% sequentially and 1% year‑over‑year, despite the absence of hyperscale hardware sales. Non‑GAAP gross margin slipped to 30% as the high‑margin Penguin Edge business winds down, while Integrated Memory surged...
Franklin Covey Co (FC) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Franklin Covey reported Q2 2026 revenue of $64 million, a 7% decline year‑over‑year, primarily due to an 8% drop in Enterprise and a 2% dip in Education. Despite the revenue dip, Enterprise North America invoiced amounts grew 7% overall and 13%...
FTSE Russell Unveils Asia Liquid Government Bond Index Series- #Wealth #AssetManagement #AssetFinance
FTSE Russell has launched the FTSE Asia Pacific Liquid Government Bond Index Series, a new suite of local‑currency benchmarks covering India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. The series tracks the two or three most recently issued or reopened sovereign...
NovaGold Resources Inc (NG) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
NovaGold Resources reported a $7.2 million net loss for Q2 2020 but closed the period with a strong cash position of $134.3 million. The company resumed its Donlin Gold drilling campaign, aiming to complete roughly 80 holes and over 20,000 meters to validate high‑grade...
RH (RH) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Restoration Hardware (RH) reported an 8% revenue increase in 2025, delivering $597 million in adjusted EBITDA (17.3% margin) and turning free cash flow positive at $252 million. The company invested $289 million in global expansion and $37 million to acquire...
Abu Dhabi IFC Attracts More Global Players, AUM Surges 36% in 2025- #CapitalMarkets #Finance #Treasury #Finance
Abu Dhabi Global Market reported a 36% jump in assets under management in 2025, reinforcing its status as the Middle East and Africa’s largest international financial centre by licence count. Active licences rose 30% to 12,671 and the workforce grew...
MSC Industrial Direct Co Inc (MSM) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Donaldson Company posted a record $896 million in second‑quarter sales, up 3% year‑over‑year, while operating margin slipped to 14% due to gross‑margin pressure from volume deleveraging and footprint‑optimization costs. Adjusted EPS held steady at $0.83, and the company announced the Facet...
Digital-Bank-Ramps-up-Use-of-Capital-Relief-Trades
A leading digital bank has accelerated its deployment of Synthetic Risk Transfer (SRT) transactions, boosting capital relief activity by roughly 45% year‑over‑year. The bank generated about $2.3 billion in regulatory capital relief during the latest quarter, allowing it to lift its...
Lamb Weston Holdings Inc (LW) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Lamb Weston reported third‑quarter 2026 results showing a 9% volume increase, a 4% rise in net sales and a 6% jump in adjusted EBITDA to $364 million, effectively offsetting the prior‑year ERP transition loss. Price mix fell 5% as the company...
Tilray Brands Inc (TLRY) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Tilray Brands reported Q1 FY2026 net revenue of $210 million, a 5% year‑over‑year increase, and returned to net profitability with $1.5 million net income. Gross margin slipped to 27% from 30% last year, driven by lower margins in the beverage and cannabis...
Conagra Brands Inc (CAG) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
B&G Foods completed the sale of its Green Giant U.S. frozen business, generating $63.2 million in cash and securing a co‑pack agreement with Seneca Foods that should add roughly $80 million of revenue in 2026. The company also announced the pending acquisition...
Bassett Furniture Industries Inc (BSET) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Vestis reported Q1 2026 revenue of $663.4 million, a 3% decline driven by a product‑mix shift toward lower‑margin workplace supplies that reduced revenue per pound by $0.04. Adjusted EBITDA fell to $70.4 million, with margins slipping to 10.6% as cost per pound...
Blue-Owl-hits-US$2.9bn-for-latest-ABF-fund
Blue Owl Capital announced the closing of its latest asset‑backed finance (ABF) fund with $2.9 billion of commitments, surpassing the original $2.5 billion target. The fund will deploy capital into niche, securitized assets such as film‑production loans, equipment leasing, and other specialty...
ASHR: Paying A Premium For Great Companies May Be Worth It
The Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A‑Shares ETF (ASHR) posted a 22.62% total return over the past year, driven primarily by double‑digit earnings growth among its constituents rather than multiple expansion. The fund trades at roughly a 28‑times earnings multiple, a...
You Missed the March 31 Deadline: What Indian Crypto Investors Must Do Now
The Indian financial year closed on March 31, and crypto investors who failed to report their digital‑asset gains now face a tax liability for FY 2025‑26. The deadline missed does not erase the obligation; taxpayers must still calculate profits, file a revised...
Children’s Minnesota Taps New Vice President of Finance From Optum
Sannah Kahal has been appointed vice president of finance at Children’s Minnesota, a Minneapolis‑based health system, effective immediately. The announcement, posted on LinkedIn on March 31, highlights her responsibility for capital planning, controllership, enterprise reporting, financial planning and analysis, decision support,...
Fintech - March 2026
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) plans to issue an interim final open‑banking rule in 2026, revisiting data‑access requirements after suspending its 2024 rule. Meanwhile, the House‑pending Bank‑Fintech Partnership Enhancement Act would empower the OCC and Federal Reserve to study...
XCCC: Surprisingly Robust Performance From CCC Credits
The BondBloxx CCC Rated USD High‑Yield Corporate Bond ETF (XCCC) posted a modest 4% total‑return decline in 2026, outperforming many leveraged peers. Its resilience stems from low duration and moderate CCC credit spreads, which currently sit at 10.13%, near historical...
Kevin Durant Whoop Valuation Up 81x Since His 2017 Investment
Health‑tech wearable Whoop raised $575 million in a Series G round, pushing its valuation to $10.1 billion. The funding, led by Collaborative Fund and joined by athletes Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Rory McIlroy, supports global expansion. Kevin Durant, who first invested in 2017 when Whoop...
#58687
Hello Group Inc. (ticker MOMO) announced a special cash dividend of $0.26 per American Depositary Share, payable on April 30, 2026 with a record date of April 10. The gross dividend is $0.28 less a $0.02 depositary fee. The Options...
Ellomay Capital Reports Publication of Financial Statements of Dorad Energy Ltd. As of and for the Year Ended December 31,...
Ellomay Capital disclosed that its 16.9% indirect stake in Dorad Energy posted 2025 revenues of roughly NIS 2.65 billion (about $742 million) and operating profit of NIS 385 million (≈$108 million). The year’s results were pressured by a 22% revenue dip in June amid the Israel‑Iran...
HeartCore Reports Full Year 2025 Results
HeartCore Enterprises reported full‑year 2025 results, showing revenue of $9 million, a steep decline from $22.7 million the prior year after losing a large warrant deal. The company posted a net income of $5.5 million, driven largely by a gain from selling its...