Nashville to Price About $502 Million in Midst of Growth
The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County is set to price about $502 million of general‑obligation refunding bonds on March 19, led by BofA Securities and Morgan Stanley. The Series 2026D issue carries AA‑plus ratings from S&P and KBRA and yields ranging from 2.62% to 4.25% across three tranches. Recent property‑tax reassessments have boosted urban revenue by 26% and suburban revenue by 39%, while municipal spending rose 15.9% year‑over‑year. The proceeds will refinance older GO bonds and fund a tender offer, keeping total direct debt near $6.1 billion.
Advance Corporation Tax Reform: Call for Evidence
HM Treasury has launched an open call for evidence on reforming the United Kingdom’s Advance Corporation Tax (ACT) regime. The government will repeal the restrictive ‘shadow ACT’ rules on 1 April 2026 and is consulting on a possible full phase‑out of the...
Rwanda Wants to Be Where Africa-Focused Capital Gets Structured and Domiciled
Rwanda’s Kigali International Finance Centre (KIFC) has risen to become Africa’s third‑largest financial hub, trailing only Casablanca and Mauritius, after passing 22 laws and offering a 3% corporate tax, zero withholding tax and six‑hour company registration. The centre now hosts...
Covenant Trends – 3/16/2026
Covenant Trends released its March 16 2026 data set highlighting the average EBITDA adjustment cap applied to synergies and cost‑saving initiatives in loan agreements. The chart shows the cap hovering around the low‑teens percentage range and climbing steadily year‑over‑year. The release includes...
Octus: Private Credit & Deal Origination Insights – 3/16/2026
In the third quarter of 2025, Octus reported that the average fair‑market‑value‑to‑par (FMV/Par) ratio on non‑accrual drawn loans rose for three of the five leading sectors—Communication Services, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials. The increase reflects deeper discounts on these loans, signaling...
Leveraged Loan Insight & Analysis – 3/16/2026
U.S. primary market leveraged loan yields rose to 8.09% in March, the highest level since April 2025. The increase reflects broader pricing pressure on first‑lien institutional term loan Bs with a three‑year repayment horizon. Single‑B rated credits led the yield...
New Tax Regime Will Relieve Burden for Small Companies
Nigeria enacted four interconnected Tax Reform Acts, consolidating legacy statutes into the Nigeria Tax Act effective Jan 1 2026. The reforms raise the small‑company exemption threshold to $74,088 in annual turnover and set a N250 million fixed‑asset ceiling, easing the federal tax burden...
2025 ANNUAL RESULTS - Transdev Group in 2025: Solid Growth, Enhanced Visibility, and Financial Strength
Transdev reported 2025 results showing solid growth, with revenue reaching €10.44 bn (+4%) and adjusted EBITDA rising 5% to €691 m. Operating investments increased 9% to €691 m, supporting vehicle electrification and heavy‑mode expansions such as the Marseille‑Nice rail line and the Cable C1...
LexinFintech Holdings Ltd. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Unaudited Financial Results
LexinFintech Holdings reported unaudited results for Q4 and full‑year 2025, posting a net profit of RMB 1.7 billion—a 52.4% year‑over‑year increase—despite a 7.4% decline in total operating revenue to RMB 13.2 billion. The company’s loan‑originations fell modestly, while outstanding loan balances dropped 12.4%, reflecting...
SolarEdge (SEDG) Reports Departure of CFO
SolarEdge Technologies announced that CFO Asaf Alperovitz will depart to take a CFO role at another public company, remaining until June 9, 2026 to aid the transition. The board has opened a search for his replacement. The company reaffirmed its Q1 2026...
CLNs-the-Winner
Credit‑Linked Notes (CLNs) are being hailed as the premier tool for capital‑relief trades in the structured credit market. Recent commentary highlights their ability to off‑load credit risk while preserving balance‑sheet efficiency. The piece situates CLNs amid a shifting regulatory landscape,...
Capteris Equipment Leases Support $436.9 Million
Capteris Equipment Finance is set to sell a $436.9 million asset‑backed securities (ABS) transaction, Series 2026‑1, backed by 216 commercial equipment leases from 57 obligors. The deal issues six tranches, with senior A1 and A2 notes receiving the bulk of capital and...
Netflix More Likely to Raise Prices with Warner Bros. Deal Out of the Way, Citi Says
Citi analysts say Netflix is poised to raise subscription prices later this year now that the Warner Bros. Discovery merger has collapsed. A 5% increase in average revenue per user could boost the stock by up to 6% and move Netflix...
Bitcoin Depot’s ATMs Face Compliance-Related Ban in Connecticut
Bitcoin Depot, the world’s largest crypto‑ATM operator, had its Connecticut money‑transmission license suspended after regulators identified compliance breaches. The state found more than 1,000 instances where fees exceeded the legal 15% cap, resulting in roughly $150,000 in excess charges. Additionally,...
SEC Confirms Exemption for Directors and Officers of EEA Foreign Private Issuers
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that directors and officers of European Economic Area foreign private issuers will be exempt from Section 16(a) reporting under the 1934 Exchange Act. The exemption eliminates the need for these insiders to file Form 4,...
IRS Extends Relief for Crypto Brokers
The IRS issued Notice 2026‑20, extending the temporary relief granted in Notice 2025‑7 for another year, now through Dec. 31, 2026. The extension lets eligible taxpayers use alternative methods—such as standing orders or other broker‑designated identifiers—to make adequate identification of digital‑asset units held by...
OCC Ends Restrictions on 4 Banks
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced the termination of enforcement actions against four community banks—Heritage Bank, 1st National Bank, Slovenian S&LA, and Touchmark National Bank. Each institution had been subject to consent orders or formal agreements addressing...
JPMorgan Halts Qualtrics $5.3 Billion Debt Deal
JPMorgan Chase and a syndicate of banks have paused a $5.3 billion debt financing for Qualtrics International after the software firm failed to attract sufficient investor interest. The slowdown reflects heightened market anxiety over artificial‑intelligence disruption and a broader pullback from...
Agentic AI Shopping Bots Are Coming. Banks Need to Be Ready
Agentic AI shopping bots from firms like Google, Amazon and Visa are poised to execute purchases and payments on behalf of consumers, thrusting banks into a new risk landscape. Existing charge‑back rules under Reg E and Reg Z may not apply, leaving...
SALT Round-Up—Current Developments in Key Jurisdictions
The CPA Journal highlights three pivotal SALT updates: California’s Climate‑Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261) now obliges businesses with over $500 million in revenue to file biennial climate risk reports starting Jan 1 2026, with penalties of $50 k‑$500 k per year; Washington, D.C. passed a...
Beyond Meat Delays FY25 Results Amid Accounting Investigation
Beyond Meat announced it will postpone its FY 2025 fourth‑quarter and full‑year results filing until at least March 31, citing a material weakness in inventory accounting controls. The company is conducting a detailed review of inventory balances and the excess‑and‑obsolete provision, while...
IRS Flags Phishing, Impersonation in 2026 Dirty Dozen; Experts Explain Why Payroll Is a Prime Target
The IRS’s 2026 Dirty Dozen list again flags phishing and impersonation as the top tax‑season threats, with payroll‑related scams now taking center stage. Experts explain that attackers target W‑2 data and payroll portals because employees expect tax communications and act...
EQS-Adhoc: Formycon AG Postpones the Publication of Its Audited Annual and Consolidated Financial Statements for 2025
Formycon AG announced that the audited 2025 annual and consolidated financial statements, originally due on March 26, 2026, will be released in April 2026. The postponement stems from a company‑wide rollout of a new internal financial planning system and unexpected...
Re-Engineering the Practice for MTD
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self‑Assessment compels UK accountancy firms to overhaul their traditional annual‑touchpoint model, shifting to at least five mandatory submissions per year. The increased frequency collides with a “fee ceiling” that limits how much sole...
Keolis Appoints Lonchamp as EVP of Finance
Keolis North America announced on March 17 that Matthieu Lonchamp will serve as Executive Vice President, Finance, joining the regional executive committee in Boston. Lonchamp arrives from Schneider Electric, where he held senior CFO roles for North America Low Voltage...
FCA Call for Input – Understanding How Our Regulation Can Help SMEs Access Finance
On 18 March 2026, the UK Financial Conduct Authority issued a Call for Input inviting stakeholders to comment on how regulation can improve small and medium‑sized enterprises’ access to finance. The FCA aims to identify regulatory barriers that raise costs...
Guidance: Preston Guidance: February 2026
The UK government has published the February 2026 Preston guidance, delivering updated earnings and interest factors for employers to calculate pension reinstatement for part‑time staff. The guidance follows landmark European Court of Justice and House of Lords decisions that granted part‑timers...
How to Calculate the Cost of Launching a Startup
The article breaks down the hidden and visible costs of launching a startup, emphasizing that entrepreneurs often underestimate both financial outlays and the emotional toll. It highlights specific line items such as professional support subscriptions, incorporation fees, and office space...
AICPA Requests Guidance on the Paid Family and Medical Leave Credit
The American Institute of CPAs has formally asked the Treasury and IRS for guidance on the revised Section 45S paid family and medical leave credit introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation broadens eligibility, allowing a larger pool of employers to claim...
FDIC Mulling Guardrails for Banks, Public Blockchains
The FDIC has rolled back its 2022 guidance that limited banks from interacting with public, permissionless blockchains, signaling a more permissive stance under Chair Travis Hill. Hill indicated that while the agency will focus on implementing the GENIUS Act, it...
Internal Audit Functions Lose Budget Bucks and Headcount
Internal audit functions are facing tighter budgets and reduced headcount, with 19% reporting lower budgets for 2025—up from 11% a year earlier—and staff cuts rising to 18%, matching the pandemic peak. Funding sufficiency is markedly higher for audit teams that...
Cat Bond Issuance Could Set New Records for Both February and March in 2026
Catastrophe bond issuance in the first quarter of 2026 is projected between $6.34 billion and $6.54 billion, making it the second‑largest Q1 on record. February 2026 already broke the $2 billion threshold and March is on track to exceed $3 billion, setting new monthly...
Hospital Finance Chiefs Say Half or More Tech Pilots Fail: Survey
A SmartSense survey of 150 U.S. hospital CFOs found that 60% see half or more of their financial and administrative technology pilots fail, even as 73% increase tech budgets. Failures are attributed to vague objectives and low employee adoption. CFOs...
Chalmers Says Latest Treasury Modelling Shows Australia’s Inflation Could Reach 5%, as National Cabinet Meets on Fuel
Treasury modelling released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers indicates Australia’s headline inflation could peak in the high‑4s, potentially reaching 5%, as oil prices remain elevated. Two scenarios are examined: oil at $100 a barrel for the first half of the year,...
How Prudent Capital Deployment Returned Quad to Profitability
Quad Graphics, the fourth‑largest North American printer, posted a $27 million net profit in 2025, reversing a $51 million loss from the prior year. The company slashed more than $700 million of debt, bringing total borrowings down to $308 million. It redirected capital spending...
Corporates Pivot to Letters of Credit Amid Growing Global Trade Uncertainty
Corporates are reverting to letters of credit (LC) as the Middle East conflict disrupts the Strait of Hormuz, creating heightened supply‑chain risk. Treasury teams are pairing LC guarantees with broader liquidity measures, such as larger inventories and notional cash pools,...
Bonds Boost Bitcoin-Based Borrowing
Crypto lender Ledn issued $188 million of Bitcoin‑collateralised bonds to broaden its funding base. The senior tranche priced at 335 basis points over benchmark and the mezzanine at 650, delivering a blended 7.2% yield. The bonds are backed by more than...
Audited Financials Aren’t Enough, Survey Finds
The Center for Audit Quality surveyed 300 U.S. institutional investors and found a strong appetite for assurance services that go beyond traditional financial statement audits. Eighty‑one percent regularly use cybersecurity risk information, while 78% consider data privacy, sustainability and governance...
IRS, FATCA and CRS: The Latest RegTech Compliance News
Comply Exchange’s February 2026 roundup flags key FATCA, CRS, and IRS filing deadlines for financial institutions. Bahamas AEOI participants must submit FATCA/CRS data by March 31, 2026, while U.S. Form 1042 and 1042‑S filings closed on March 16, 2026. The IRS announced the FIRE system will...
François Villeroy De Galhau: Private Markets - Three Conditions to Get the Good without the Bad or the Ugly
Governor François Villeroy de Galhau highlighted Paris’s position as the EU’s leading financial centre and fourth worldwide. He noted that despite recent political uncertainty, foreign‑investment projects in France increased modestly in 2025 and the domestic savings pool remains strong. The...
Why Strategic Budgeting Is Crucial in an Era of Uncertainty
Colleges face a perfect storm of demographic decline, volatile public funding, rising costs and heightened accountability, making the FY2027 budget a strategic imperative rather than a routine exercise. The article argues that budgeting must become a central governance function that...
Cellulant Taps Ex-Agoda CFO as New Finance Chief in Renewed Pan-African Push
Cellulant has appointed former Agoda CFO Darren Makarem as its new finance chief, bolstering a refreshed executive team that also includes CTO Michael Muriuki. Makarem arrives with experience overseeing a $12 billion annual payments network and stints at Binance and OnRamp,...
XOVR: Tech-Heavy Strategy For A Pre-IPO Investment In SpaceX
ERShares Private‑Public Crossover ETF (XOVR) offers investors a blend of private and public equities, with a striking 35.81% allocation to SpaceX ahead of its anticipated IPO. The fund’s asset base has contracted due to outflows, forcing a higher concentration in...
Official Statistics: Forecasts for the UK Economy: March 2026
The UK Treasury released its March 2026 edition of the monthly "Forecasts for the UK economy" comparison, collating short‑term and medium‑term projections from a selection of independent forecasters. The 19‑page PDF presents outlooks for 2025‑26 through 2029‑30, covering GDP, inflation, labour...
Fed Meeting Updates: FOMC Set to Hold Rates Steady as Oil Prices Soar
The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the March 2026 meeting. The decision follows a February jobs report that revealed a loss of roughly 100,000 positions and a sharp rise in oil...
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré: Speech - "Research Conference on Climate- and Nature-Related Risks in the Economic and Financial Systems"
A research conference on climate‑ and nature‑related risks attracted nearly 200 submissions, underscoring rapid growth in the field. Speakers highlighted that physical risks from climate change and ecosystem degradation are already influencing macroeconomic variables such as inflation, productivity, and fiscal...
Cat Bond Portfolio Construction More Important than Seasonal Hurricane Forecasts: Man Group
Man Group argues that seasonal Atlantic hurricane forecasts are unreliable for catastrophe bond investors, noting systematic underestimation of outlier years and limited relevance to insured loss outcomes. Their research shows that even accurate storm counts and intensities cannot predict economic...
FinQuery Achieves Rare Five-Year Leadership Streak with 20th Consecutive G2 Award
FinQuery announced that its LeaseQuery platform has secured the No. 1 spot on G2’s Lease Accounting Software Grid for the 20th consecutive quarter, marking a five‑year streak of market leadership. The achievement reflects a 98 % overall satisfaction rating from more than...
Meiwu Technology Announces 14 Million Direct Offering
Meiwu Technology Co Ltd announced a registered direct offering of 6,999,996 ordinary shares at $2.00 per share, generating roughly $14 million in gross proceeds. The deal also includes warrants for an equal number of shares, exercisable at $2.00 within one year....
TaxStreem Aims to Simplify Tax Compliance for Nigerian Businesses
TaxStreem has launched a digital platform that consolidates fragmented financial data—from bank accounts, email, WhatsApp Business and invoicing tools—into a single interface for Nigerian businesses. The system automatically applies relevant tax rules, calculates liabilities in real time, and files returns...