Exclusive: Fazeshift Scores $17M As Investors Bet On AI-Powered Finance Ops, Starting With Accounts Receivable
San Francisco‑based Fazeshift raised $17 million in a Series A led by F‑Prime Capital, bringing its total funding to $22 million since its 2023 launch. The startup’s AI agents sit atop existing ERP, CRM and banking systems to automate more than 90 % of manual accounts‑receivable work, from invoicing to payment reconciliation. Since joining Y Combinator’s summer 2024 cohort, Fazeshift’s revenue has surged 12‑fold and it now serves dozens of enterprise clients, including eight unicorns such as Snyk and Sigma Computing. The founders envision the platform evolving into a broader autonomous finance operating system for CFOs.
‘Solid’: Gray Media’s Q1 Financials, As Howell Sees It
Gray Television reported solid Q1 2026 results, with core advertising revenue surpassing guidance and political ad sales hitting the top of their forecast range. The company, however, posted a net loss for the quarter, partly due to a lingering impact...
Hexaware Reports 7.4% Net Profit Growth to ₹351 Crore in Q1
Hexaware Technologies posted a 7.4% rise in net profit to roughly $42 million (₹351.6 crore) for the March‑ending quarter, while revenue climbed 12.6% to about $435 million (₹3,613 crore). EBIT grew 133 basis points to ₹480.1 crore, delivering a 13.3% margin, and the firm announced...
Genpact and Google Cloud Expand Alliance to Bring Agentic Solutions to the Office of the CFO
Genpact and Google Cloud have expanded their alliance to deliver agentic AI solutions tailored for the Office of the CFO. The partnership combines Genpact’s finance domain expertise with Google Cloud’s AI infrastructure to move enterprises from fragmented pilots to production‑ready...
Gold M&A: Denarius Scraps Emerita Takeover in Spain
Denarius Metals withdrew its all‑share offer for Spain‑focused Emerita Resources after the target declined to engage in substantive talks. The revised bid, announced on April 21, valued Emerita at roughly $134 million—a 73% premium to its April 10 price. The deal fell apart...
Exelon Lowers Utility Spending to Ease Electric Affordability Issues
Exelon announced a $350 million reduction in its 2024 capital spending plan, redirecting funds toward transmission infrastructure to help keep electric bills low. The utility will increase transmission investment by $1.5 billion, targeting a 16% annual growth in the transmission rate base...
Horizon Quantum Reports Q1 2026 Financial Results: Nasdaq Debut and Testbed Expansion
Horizon Quantum Holdings reported its Q1 2026 results following a March 19 SPAC merger that took the Singapore‑based firm public on Nasdaq (ticker HQ). The transaction and a PIPE raised cash to $96.6 million, boosting the balance sheet from $3 million to over...
UniCredit Agrees to Sell Parts of Russian Bank to UAE Investor
UniCredit announced a non‑binding agreement to sell most of its Russian banking operations to an unnamed private investor from the United Arab Emirates, while retaining its payments business in the country. The deal value was not disclosed, and the transaction...
Bolivia Is Tapping Global Bond Markets for First Time Since 2022
Bolivia is re‑entering international capital markets for the first time since 2022, as its newly elected market‑friendly administration seeks fresh financing. The government plans to issue benchmark‑size dollar bonds with a five‑year maturity. Early price talks suggest yields in the...
Vardhman Textiles Q4 FY26 Net Profit Declines 22% to US $19.5 Million
Vardhman Textiles reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 185 crore ($19.5 million) for Q4 FY26, a 22.2% decline from the same quarter a year earlier. Revenue from operations slipped marginally by 0.4% to Rs 2,498 crore ($263 million), while EBITDA rose 2.5% to Rs 294 crore ($31 million),...
Kalshi Announces $1bn Series F Round
Prediction market platform Kalshi announced a $1 billion Series F financing, valuing the company at $22 billion. The round was led by Coatue with participation from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, IVP, Paradigm, Morgan Stanley and ARK Invest. Kalshi says institutional trading volume has surged...
Exclusive: NPCI Mandates New MCC for UPI Gift Cards, Caps Per-Transaction Limit at Rs 10,000
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has ordered all UPI and RuPay member banks and payment service providers to re‑classify gift‑card and voucher purchases under a new Merchant Category Code (MCC) 7016, effective by May 31, 2026. Previously, these transactions shared MCC 6540...
Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane Sparks Questions over Future of Frozen
Kraft Heinz CEO Steve Cahillane re‑classified its frozen foods segment from “win big” to “hold,” while upgrading its hydration portfolio to “win big,” signaling a possible exit from the lagging frozen category. He highlighted that 35% of the overall portfolio is gaining...
Datavault AI Announces Board of Directors Has Requested Management’s Complete Plan for Dividend Spin-Out of Acoustic Sciences Division Into Stand-Alone...
Datavault AI’s board has asked management to draft a complete dividend spin‑out plan for its Acoustic Sciences division, which would become a stand‑alone public company called API Media under the ticker ADIO on NASDAQ. The company engaged Houlihan Lokey and Paul Hastings LLP...
Can a Beauty Mega-Deal Save Estée Lauder?
Estée Lauder, after two years of flat sales and a 30% share‑price decline, is exploring a $10 billion acquisition of Coty’s prestige portfolio to revive growth. The deal would bring mass‑market brands such as CoverGirl and Rimmel under Estée Lauder’s umbrella,...
PGGM / PFZW ILS Investments Returned 12.4% in USD, Ended 2025 at $8.904bn AUM
PGGM’s insurance‑linked securities (ILS) portfolio, managed for Dutch pension fund PFZW, posted a 12.4% return in US dollars for full‑year 2025. The portfolio’s assets under management rose to $8.904 bn, a modest increase from $8.68 bn at the end of 2024. ILS...
Eurobonds: Despite Objections, They Are More Needed than Ever
A coalition of the ECB, Bundesbank and several EU governments is backing a proposal to replace up to 25 percent of each member state's debt with Eurobonds. The plan would finance the swap through a revenue transfer of roughly 1 percent of...
Broad-Based Sector Stress Drove ECLGS 5.0 Rollout, Says Finance Secretary
India’s finance secretary announced the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0, a ₹2.55 trillion (~$31 bn) program designed to cushion broad‑based sector stress from the West Asia war. The scheme extends up to 20% additional working‑capital credit to MSMEs, airlines and other...
The EBA Consults on Amendments to the RTS on the Assignment of Risk Weights to Specialised Lending Exposures Under the...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has launched a public consultation on proposed amendments to its Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) for assigning risk weights to specialised lending exposures under the Supervisory Slotting Criteria Approach (SSCA). The changes aim to align the...
The Interplay Between Liquidity and Collateral
J.P. Morgan executives Eileen Herlihy, O’Delle Burke and Michael Wynn discuss how liquidity and collateral management are evolving as institutional investors seek to raise and preserve cash. They highlight the growing importance of intraday liquidity, the shift toward non‑cash collateral...
Genco Steps up Fight Against Diana Takeover Push
Genco Shipping & Trading has intensified its defence against Diana Shipping’s hostile takeover by filing proxy materials that urge shareholders to re‑elect its six directors and reject Diana’s board slate. The New York‑listed dry‑bulk owner argues Diana’s $23.50‑per‑share offer, a...
The EBA Amends Guidelines on the Definition of Default
The European Banking Authority (EBA) released a final report amending its Guidelines on the definition of default. It extends the past‑due period for non‑recourse factoring invoices from 30 to 90 days and confirms that the 1% net present value (NPV)...
Kalshi, the Prediction Market, Raises $1 Billion at a $22 Billion Valuation
Kalshi, a U.S. prediction‑market platform, announced a $1 billion funding round that lifts its valuation to about $22 billion. The round, led by Coatue Management, is the third in seven months and follows a period where the company’s annualized trading volume surged...
Debtor Countries Finally Have a Group of Their Own
On April 15, a coalition of developing nations launched the Borrowers’ Platform to coordinate debt‑management strategies and negotiate with international lenders. The initiative builds on the Sevilla Commitment, a framework adopted at the 2023 Fourth International Conference on Financing for...
Authority Brands CFO on Finance Leadership in the Franchise Industry
Josh Greear, the CFO of Authority Brands, says the next growth wave will come from improving unit‑level economics for franchisees rather than adding new brands. His finance leadership blends data‑driven margin expansion with hands‑on support for owners ranging from single‑unit...
ISI Launches Corporate Debt Platform Covering 2,100 Emerging Market Bond Issuers
International Securities Institute (ISI) unveiled a new corporate debt platform that aggregates information on roughly 2,100 emerging‑market bond issuers. The service delivers real‑time pricing, credit analytics, and historical issuance data in a single dashboard. ISI aims to streamline due‑diligence for...
Northern Trust Supports Launch of Europe’s First Autocallable ETF
Northern Trust is backing the launch of Europe’s first autocallable ETF, the Calamos Autocallable Income UCITS sub‑fund, on Waystone’s Irish‑domiciled white‑label platform. The product, managed by US‑based Calamos Investments, uses synthetic derivatives to track a diversified basket of autocallable notes,...
Less Whipped Cream, More Cake - What CFOs Need to See From Agentic AI to Close the Trust Gap
CFOs face a growing trust gap as AI proliferates across finance functions, prompting demand for immutable audit trails and zero‑tolerance for errors. BlackLine responded with Agentic Financial Operations, a governance layer that records every AI‑driven transaction with a human‑like digital...
Schwab Is Joining Fidelity in 'Law-of-the-Jungle' Shakedown of ETFs (with Vanguard Not Immune) to Claim up to 15% of Fee-Revenues,...
Charles Schwab and Fidelity are rolling out a joint "pay‑to‑play" scheme that will charge ETF managers up to 15% of their fee revenue for shelf‑space on the firms' platforms. Managers that refuse to pay will face a $100‑per‑trade penalty on...
VCI Global Enters Binding Term Sheet for Strategic Investment in Brazil Gold Asset, Advancing Integration of Physical Gold Into RWA...
VCI Global Limited announced a binding term sheet to invest in a gold‑mining asset in Brazil, estimated at 59.9 tonnes (about 1.9 million ounces) of resources. The company will initially fund the project and act as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)...
Bright Power Launches AI-Powered Energy Compliance and Carbon Forecasting Platform for Commercial Real Estate
Bright Power announced Bright Power AI, an AI‑driven platform that combines two new software tools—Predict and Navigate—to help multifamily real‑estate owners forecast carbon compliance, plan retrofits, and automate energy‑benchmarking reporting. Predict delivers emissions baselines, scenario modeling, and fine projections, while...
Brazil’s Itaú Sees Steady Credit Trends
Itaú Unibanco said its loan‑delinquency ratios are holding steady, with 90‑day overdue loans at 1.9% in Q1, unchanged from the prior quarter and a year earlier. The 15‑to‑90‑day overdue rate edged up to 1.7%, a modest rise from 1.6% in...
Why Disney Shares Rose After Park Attendance Fell
Disney reported Q2 FY2026 revenue of $25.2 bn, up 7%, and adjusted EPS of $1.57, beating expectations despite a 1% dip in U.S. park attendance. The Experiences division generated $9.49 bn in revenue and $2.62 bn operating income, buoyed by higher per‑guest spending,...
Emirates Group Achieves Record Profit of AED 24.4 Bn (US$ 6.6 Bn) in 2025-26
Emirates Group reported a record profit before tax of AED 24.4 bn ($6.6 bn) for the 2025‑26 fiscal year, a 7% increase year‑over‑year, alongside record revenue of AED 150.5 bn ($41.0 bn) and cash assets of AED 59.6 bn ($16.2 bn). The airline division posted a PBT of AED 22.8 bn...
Raymond Lifestyle's Q4 Loss Widens to Rs 52 Cr; FY26 Revenue Rises 10.6 Pc
Raymond Lifestyle reported a widened Q4 net loss of ₹52.06 cr (≈$6.3 m) despite an 18.9% revenue jump to ₹1,777.45 cr (≈$21.4 m). EBITDA surged 53% to ₹152 cr (≈$1.83 m) with an 8.4% margin, reflecting higher marketing spend and digital‑transformation costs. For FY26, profit rose...
Skyroot Raises $60 Million Ahead of First Orbital Launch Attempt
Skyroot Aerospace raised $60 million in a Series round that values the Hyderabad‑based startup at $1.1 billion, making it India’s first space unicorn. The funding, co‑led by Sherpalo Ventures and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, also includes BlackRock and will finance the...
Poste Italiane Aims to Close TIM Takeover in Q3
Poste Italiane announced it aims to close its €10.8 billion ($11.8 billion) voluntary offer for TIM in the third quarter, alongside a stronger‑than‑expected Q1 earnings report. The postal group says its solid balance sheet and cash flow position it to fund digital...
Finance Chiefs Expect Smaller Finance Teams, Fewer Junior Roles Amid AI Push
A recent Oliver Wyman survey of nearly 500 global CFOs shows finance headcount will stay flat or shrink over the next three years as AI adoption rises. While 30% of CFOs plan to cut staff, 61% expect less than a 10%...
How Banks Can Decode Crypto Compliance Risks
Banks can no longer ignore crypto exposure as customers increasingly hold digital assets and move funds through traditional channels. Cense has introduced a two‑step methodology—Detect and Decode—to first surface crypto activity and then rebuild a client’s full digital‑asset portfolio for...
HKMA Launches CargoX Pilot Programme to Expand Data-Driven Trade Finance
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has launched the CargoX Pilot Programme, enlisting 21 banks to test the use of cargo and trade data in trade‑finance workflows. The pilot will operate on the Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) platform, exploring data‑driven credit...
Angelini Fortifies Neurology Portfolio with $4.1B Buyout of Catalyst
Italian drugmaker Angelini Pharma announced a $4.1 billion acquisition of U.S.-based Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, adding its trio of FDA‑approved treatments for rare neurological disorders to Angelini’s portfolio. The deal brings Ingrezza, Firdapse and a third specialty drug under Angelini’s control, instantly expanding...
LIC Portfolio Rejig: SBI, Coal India Among Top 10 Stocks that India's Biggest DII Sold in March Quarter
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), India’s largest domestic institutional investor, trimmed its NSE‑listed holdings to 3.71% in March 2026, down from 3.72% a month earlier. The insurer sold major banking stocks, including State Bank of India for roughly $557 million,...
DP World Launches “First-of-Its-Kind” Cargo War Risk Insurance
DP World has introduced a first‑of‑its‑kind cargo war‑risk insurance that spans ocean, air and land transport, targeting businesses operating through Middle East corridors such as the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. The policy offers continuous coverage from...
SolarEdge Reduces Net Loss, Maintains 22% Margin in Q1 2026
SolarEdge reported a first‑quarter net loss of $57.4 million, a sharp improvement from the $132.1 million loss in the prior quarter, while maintaining a 22 % gross margin. Revenue fell 7.4 % to $310.5 million, reflecting the exclusion of one‑time policy‑driven boosts. CEO Shuki Nir...
The ‘Perfect Storm’ Hanging Over Britain’s Public Debt
Britain’s 30‑year gilt yield surged above 5.7%, the highest level since 1998, while the 10‑year benchmark hovered near 5%. The rise outpaces U.S. Treasury yields and triples the movement in German bunds, reflecting heightened fiscal pressure, energy‑price shocks from the...
Baird Capital Raises $450m Continuation Fund for 2020 Investment Blue Matter Consulting
Baird Capital has closed a $450 million continuation fund to extend its investment in Blue Matter Consulting, a life‑science advisory firm it first backed in 2020. The vehicle will provide additional capital to support Blue Matter’s growth initiatives and allow existing...
UniCredit’s Lowball Bid for Commerzbank Causes Consternation
On May 5, 2026 UniCredit announced a bid to acquire the remaining shares of Germany’s Commerzbank, offering shareholders a swap of one Commerzbank share for 0.485 UniCredit shares. The proposal values the entire bank at €35 bn (approximately $41 bn), roughly 8% below...
St. James’s Place CIO: Deep Recession Unlikely, but Portfolio Resilience Is Still Essential
At Spear’s 500 Live, St. James’s Place chief investment officer Justin Onuekwusi said a deep recession is unlikely, assigning only a 5 percent probability over the next 12‑18 months and projecting a soft‑landing base case. He noted the firm’s £220 bn (~$280 bn) asset...
How Paywall Plus Philanthropy Saved The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer, once bankrupt, turned a profit in 2025 after Jerry Lenfest transferred ownership to the nonprofit Lenfest Institute and introduced a hybrid for‑profit, nonprofit structure. A $7.8 million grant and aggressive digital‑subscription strategy pushed subscriber revenue to 70% of...
Organic Flow Battery Company CMBlu Closes €50 Million Series C
CMBlu Energy announced the close of a €50 million (US$58.8 million) Series C round, pushing its valuation past the $1 billion mark. Samsung Ventures led the new capital while all existing backers, including Strabag SE, reinvested. The funding supports rollout of the SolidFlow organic‑redox‑flow battery,...