CFOs to Prioritize Growth Functions, Technology and AI in 2026
CFOs are reshaping 2026 budgets to favor growth‑driving functions, technology and artificial intelligence, according to Gartner’s survey of over 300 finance leaders. More than half plan higher spending on sales and IT, with 28% targeting double‑digit growth, while marketing follows closely. In contrast, HR budgets face the steepest pullback, dropping to a 0.7% growth rate as hiring slows and AI efficiencies rise. Overall technology spend climbs for 75% of CFOs, with nearly half earmarking increases of 10% or more.
LMI Invests in Ara Partners’ Energy and Infrastructure Investment Platforms
LMI has announced a strategic investment in Ara Partners' energy and infrastructure investment platforms. The partnership will allow both firms to co‑invest and share deal flow across their respective mandates. By aligning with Ara Partners, LMI aims to deepen its...
Permira Acquires A Majority Stake in TeamViewer
Private equity firm Permira has completed a majority acquisition of Germany‑based enterprise software provider TeamViewer through a public tender offer, while the company remains listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The deal, finalized in January 2026, gives Permira control to...
Coca-Cola Forecasts Modest Growth Amid Demand Concerns
Coca‑Cola projects 2026 organic revenue growth of 4%‑5% and comparable earnings per share growth of 7%‑8%, despite a modest decline in overall beverage demand. Quarterly results showed adjusted earnings of 58 cents per share and net sales of $11.82 billion, slightly...
ACCA Future-Proofs Finance Professionals with New Tech-Focused Certificates
The episode explains ACCA's launch of a four‑part Technology in Finance certificate series, aimed at equipping accountants with practical skills in data analytics, cybersecurity, AI, and organisational transformation. It highlights that 50 % of finance leaders worry about skill gaps as...
Disappointing Holiday Season: December Retail Sales Were Flat, Falling Well Short of Estimate
December retail sales were flat month‑over‑month, missing the 0.4% gain economists expected after a 0.6% rise in November. Year‑over‑year sales rose 2.4%, trailing the 2.7% inflation rate, indicating real spending erosion. The slowdown was driven by harsh weather, lingering tariff...
Sources: Crypto Exchange Kraken Has Fired Its CFO, Stephanie Lemmerman, Ahead of Its Long-Awaited IPO; Lemmerman Joined Kraken From Dapper...
Kraken, the New York‑based crypto exchange, has terminated CFO Stephanie Lemmerman just weeks before its long‑awaited initial public offering. Lemmerman, who came from Dapper Labs in November 2024, was responsible for steering the firm’s financial reporting and regulatory compliance. The...
First Quantum Credit Outlook Improves on Cobre Panama Progress
S&P Global Ratings upgraded First Quantum Minerals' credit outlook to positive, citing tangible progress toward restarting the Cobre Panama copper mine. The agency now expects the mine to resume operations in the first half of 2026, with a production ramp‑up later...
SPS Commerce Embeds Agentic AI Into Supply Chain Execution
Supply chain network SPS Commerce launched MAX, an agentic AI suite embedded in its platform, to automate and coordinate retail trading workflows. MAX offers Chat, Monitor, and Connect capabilities that surface risks, guide resolutions, and interact with external systems via...
Tax Advice Has Become a Deal Risk Discipline — Not a Cost-Saving Exercise
Tax advice has moved from a cost‑saving exercise to a core deal‑risk discipline, with large corporates and private‑equity sponsors demanding certainty over clever tax tricks. Advisors now focus on historic tax positions that can surface during acquisitions, IPOs or refinancings,...
Lightyear Capital Eyes Demand for Mobile Parking; New Catalyst Provides Capital to Ferghana, as Private Markets Firms Continue to Team...
Lightyear Capital announced plans to carve out PayByPhone, the mobile parking platform, from its current owner Corpay. The move reflects growing private‑equity interest in technology‑driven parking solutions as cities seek smarter street‑parking management. At the same time, New Catalyst has...
CVS Tops Quarterly Estimates, Reaffirms Profit Outlook as Turnaround Plan Takes Effect
CVS Health posted fourth‑quarter earnings that beat expectations, with adjusted EPS $1.09 versus the $0.99 forecast and revenue $105.69 billion versus $103.59 billion expected. The company reaffirmed its 2026 profit guidance of $7‑$7.20 per share and a revenue target of at least...
Jim Cramer Says “You Better Believe NVIDIA (NVDA)’s Getting a Big Cut” Of the AI CapEx By Mega-Cap Tech
Jim Cramer highlighted NVIDIA as the primary beneficiary of the massive AI‑focused capital expenditures announced by mega‑cap technology firms. He noted that while some spend will go to Broadcom and Marvell, the bulk will flow to NVIDIA, helping the stock...
Michael Saylor Downplays Strategy Credit Risk as Bitcoin Tumbles: 'We'll Refinance the Debt'
Strategy Investment, led by Michael Saylor, holds 714,644 bitcoins valued at roughly $49 billion, making it the largest corporate Bitcoin owner. Despite Bitcoin’s recent 15% slide to $60,000, Saylor dismissed credit‑risk concerns, saying the firm will refinance its $8 billion debt and...
Inside the Deal: Eudia’s $105M Series A to Transform Legal Work Through AI-Powered Augmented Intelligence
Eudia, a Palo Alto‑based legal‑tech startup, closed a Series A round of up to $105 million in February 2025, led by General Catalyst and backed by a slate of prominent investors. The funding follows an 18‑month stealth period and comes as the company...
I only Shop for 2, but Buying in Bulk Saves Me Money. Here Are 10 Things I Always Get at...
Longtime Costco shopper Rebecca Kaplan outlines how buying in bulk for a two‑person household slashes grocery costs. She highlights ten staple items—eggs, chicken nuggets, canned tuna, white bread, toilet paper, laundry and dishwasher detergent, drinks, protein pasta, and novelty snacks—along...
Car Dealers Worry Prices Are Getting Too High for Shaky Economy
Car dealers warn that rising new‑vehicle prices threaten sales in 2026. Average new‑car price now $50,000, monthly payment $750, loan terms 70 months, while consumer confidence hits an 11‑year low. Dealers plan to increase inventory of cheaper trims and used...
What CFOs Can Do to Close the Cyber-ERM Integration Gap
A new APQC study shows only 41% of firms integrate cybersecurity into enterprise risk management (ERM), leaving a critical visibility gap. The report highlights that merely 23% apply unified risk structures to suppliers, despite third‑party breaches rising. CFOs can close...
U.S.-UK Transatlantic Taskforce Hosts Industry Engagement in London
HM Treasury hosted U.S. Treasury officials and regulators in London on 26 January 2026 for senior‑level industry engagement of the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future. The dialogue explored ways to tighten capital‑market links and coordinate on digital‑asset policy. The Taskforce,...
Corporate Report: Supplementary Estimates 2025-26
HM Treasury released the Supplementary Estimates for the 2025‑26 fiscal year, presented to the House of Commons on 10 February 2026. The documents request parliamentary authority for voted expenditure across all government departments, covering resources, capital projects and cash needs....
Michigan Governor Floats ‘Sales Tax Holiday’ for School Supplies, Property Tax Refund for Seniors
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is set to unveil a budget proposal that includes a sales‑tax holiday on school supplies and a property‑tax refund for seniors. The holiday would suspend the 6% sales tax on clothing, classroom items and computers, while...
How Affordability Led to a Chasm Between Stock Prices, Consumer Optimism
U.S. stock indices have surged while consumer sentiment has plunged to near‑record lows since 2022, breaking a 25‑year correlation between market performance and household confidence. Economists attribute the split to worsening affordability, with consumer prices up 26% since 2019 and...
Oregon Democrats’ Bill to Add $300M to State’s Budget by Ending 3 Trump Tax Breaks Advances
Oregon Democrats moved Senate Bill 5107 forward, aiming to raise more than $300 million for the state’s 2025‑27 budget by repealing several Trump‑era tax breaks and adding new credits. The bill eliminates the accelerated depreciation deduction, costing corporations an estimated $267 million...
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TSMC Approves US$44.96 Billion Budget Amid AI Boom
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) approved a US$44.96 billion capital budget to expand advanced, mature and specialty technology capacity, upgrade packaging, and build new fabs. The plan includes upgrading its Kumamoto plant to 3‑nanometer production to meet surging AI demand. The...
Liquidity as a Real-Time Operating System: Kyriba on the Future of Treasury
Treasury leaders are shifting from isolated point solutions to a single, real‑time operating system that unifies cash, debt, investments and risk across dozens of banks and multiple ERP platforms. Kyriba’s Tom Callway argues that the missing piece is a connectivity...
Irena Radović: Speech - Regional Conference "AML/CFT and Anti-Fraud Procedures for Instant Payments"
Governor Irena Radović opened a regional conference in Podgorica, highlighting the Western Balkans’ push toward instant payments and deeper SEPA integration. She noted that more than forty central banks are collaborating to prepare for the July 2026 launch of Montenegro’s TIPS Clone...
The Quarterly Review: Wise’s Lauren Langbridge Expands Domestic Payment Network Capabilities and Celebrates Partnership Wins
Wise’s Commercial Director for the Americas, Lauren Langbridge, drove two domestic payment network expansions—Direct Pix in Brazil and Zengin in Japan—while laying groundwork for additional connections. She secured new partnerships with Wealthsimple and Interactive Brokers (IBKR), extending the Wise Platform’s reach into retail...
Health Savings Accounts Gain Popularity as Investment Vehicles
Health savings accounts (HSAs) are increasingly being used as investment vehicles, with 4 million accounts – about 10% of all HSAs – holding invested assets, a 23% year‑over‑year rise. Total HSA assets grew 16% to $159 billion, and investment‑linked assets now represent...
Leverage Trading in Cryptocurrency: How It Works, Risks, and Where Indians Can Trade Safely
Leverage trading has moved from niche desks to mainstream Indian crypto investors in 2026, driven by clearer regulatory guidance and FIU‑IND compliant platforms. By borrowing funds, traders can control positions many times larger than their capital, magnifying both profit potential...
Why Law Firms Are Increasingly Investing in Managed IT Support
Law firms are turning to managed IT support to counter escalating cyber threats, meet strict compliance mandates, and sustain uninterrupted client service. Subscription‑based models replace ad‑hoc repairs, delivering predictable budgeting and scalable resources. Proactive monitoring curtails downtime, while secure remote‑work...
BP Steps up Cost Cutting as Profits Slide
BP reported 2025 earnings of $7.5 bn, a 15% drop from the previous year, as crude prices fell roughly 20%. The oil major lifted its cost‑saving goal to $5.5‑$6.5 bn by the end of 2027, up from a $5 bn ceiling, and halted...
Mortgage and Refinance Interest Rates Today, February 10, 2026: Rates Remain Under 6%, for Now
Mortgage rates have fallen back under six percent, with Zillow reporting a 5.91% average for a 30‑year fixed‑rate purchase and 6.02% for refinances on February 10, 2026. The 15‑year fixed sits at 5.44% and VA loans are slightly lower, while ARM products...
Michele Bullock: Opening Statement - House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics
Governor Michele Bullock addressed the House Economics Committee, outlining the Reserve Bank of Australia’s recent 25‑basis‑point cash‑rate hike to 3.85% and a revised inflation outlook that sees headline inflation at 3.6% for the December 2025 quarter. She highlighted a still‑tight labour...
E Fund Launches Hong Kong’s First Gold Miner ETF in Collaboration with Solactive
E Fund Management (Hong Kong) launched the region’s first gold‑miner exchange‑traded fund, the E Fund (HK) Solactive Global Gold Miner Select Index ETF, on 30 January 2026. The product tracks the Solactive Global Gold Miner Select Index, which selects 30 globally listed mining...
Michael Atingi-Ego: Opening Remarks - 10th Meeting of the Financial Sector Stability Forum (FSSF)
Governor Michael Atingi‑Ego opened the 10th Financial Sector Stability Forum by highlighting Uganda’s sound banking fundamentals, strong capital and liquidity, and a favourable domestic macro environment. He warned that rising global debt, asset‑price pressures and geopolitical tensions could spill over...
Popular Investment Options for Beginners: How to Diversify Your Portfolio
The article outlines five core investment categories—cryptocurrency, stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodities—to help beginners build diversified portfolios. It explains how each asset class contributes differently to risk mitigation and long‑term growth, emphasizing that diversification goes beyond simply mixing stocks...
Why AI-Ready ERP Depends on Industrial-Scale Cloud Infrastructure
Enterprise software is entering an AI‑driven era, and ERP systems must now prove they can run large language models reliably, securely, and at scale. Oracle’s NetSuite highlights its advantage by being built as a shared, multi‑user platform on a unified...
Commercial Lending in the U.S. Surges 30 Percent in Late 2025
U.S. commercial real‑estate lending jumped 30% in Q4 2025, driven largely by banks as interest‑rate volatility eased. Originations rose 25% sequentially, with office loans nearly doubling year‑over‑year and overall 2025 originations up 40% from 2024. Depository institutions led the surge,...
Global Warming Expected to Drive Structural Growth in ILS Spreads: Solidum Partners
Solidum Partners says global warming will structurally expand ILS spreads. As natural disaster frequency and severity increase, traditional reinsurers face capital constraints under Solvency II, limiting their capacity. ILS instruments, being event‑specific and fully collateralized, can absorb tail risk, leading investors...
Ayman M Al-Sayari: Speech - Addressing Financial Crime, Fraud, and Corruption as Barriers to Growth and Stability Session
At the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, Saudi Central Bank Governor Ayman Al‑Sayari warned that financial crime siphoned $3.1 trillion globally in 2023 and caused $485 billion in fraud losses. He outlined Saudi Arabia’s multi‑layered response anchored in Vision 2030, including risk‑based...
Dimitar Radev: Bulgaria's Accession to the Euro Area Is the Culmination of a Long Process of Economic Integration, Policy Alignment...
Bulgaria has formally joined the euro area, ending years of operating as a de facto euro economy under a currency‑board arrangement. Governor Dimitar Radev emphasized that the accession reflects a long‑term process of economic integration, policy alignment and shared responsibility, despite...
DBS' Net Profit Falls 3% to S$11bn Amid Rate Headwinds
DBS Group reported a 3% drop in fourth‑quarter net profit, landing at S$11 billion, as higher interest rates and increased tax expenses weighed on earnings. The decline was amplified by the absence of non‑recurring gains that had boosted prior results. Despite...
When IPOs Freeze, Liquidity Finds Another Way
The 2025 Endeavor Catalyst report shows a dramatic rise in private liquidity, with ten secondary sales and acquisitions compared with just one in 2024. Global secondary market volume is on track to hit US$122 billion in 2025, nearly six times the...
Infor Appoints Geoff Thomas to Lead Asia Pacific and Japan Operations
Infor announced that Geoff Thomas will serve as senior vice president and general manager for its Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region, overseeing strategy and operations across Japan, ANZ, Southeast and North Asia, and India. Thomas, who previously led Qlik’s...
Acumatica Summit 2026: Manish Chandak
At Acumatica Summit 2026 in Seattle, Manish Chandak, CEO of Tech Electronics, discussed emerging ERP trends with ERP Today editor Chris Vavra. He emphasized the growing importance of digital replicas that provide real‑time data integration within ERP platforms. Chandak also...
Warehouse Management Systems Poised for Growth as Distribution Networks Chase E-Commerce Velocity
The U.S. warehouse management system (WMS) market is projected to grow at a 14.34% CAGR through 2031, driving global WMS spending from $4.77 billion in 2026 to $10.89 billion by 2031, with North America holding a 40% share. Cloud‑native platforms now account...
FA at 30: How Dim Sum Bonds Unlocked Liquidity without Opening China’s Capital Account
Nearly two decades after China Development Bank issued its first RMB‑denominated bond in Hong Kong, dim sum bonds have become a cornerstone of offshore liquidity. The initial issuance was modest, but it demonstrated that Chinese sovereign and policy banks could...
SEC Upholds Fines vs NOW over Disclosure Violation
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission affirmed PHP1 million fines for NOW Corp. and its chair Mel Velarde after finding their November 2021 market disclosure misleading. The regulator rejected NOW’s appeal, labeling the statement a "half‑truth" that misled investors about a alleged...
GCash Parent Mynt Keeps IPO Option Open
Mynt, the parent of GCash, is keeping an IPO on the table while accelerating its payments, lending and wealth‑management services. The fintech arm delivered P6.1 billion in attributable equity earnings in 2025, a 64% jump year‑on‑year, and its lending subsidiary Fuse...