An Experienced Investor’s End of Tax Year Checklist
Experienced high‑net‑worth investors must act before the 2025/26 tax year ends to capture the remaining allowances in EIS, SEIS and VCT schemes. VCT offers are already 87‑94% subscribed, with final allocations closing as early as 23 March and the last VCT deadline at noon on 2 April. SEIS investments must be made by 27 February, while EIS funds close between 27 February and 27 March, both offering carry‑back options. ISA, Junior ISA and SIPP contributions remain open until the final minutes of 5 April.
Saba Boss Warns of Turmoil in Private Credit Following Blue Owl Strains
Boaz Weinstein, founder of Saba Capital, warned that the private credit market is entering a turbulent phase after Blue Owl Capital’s recent liquidity strain. Blue Owl has limited withdrawals and sold loans to satisfy redemptions, causing its shares to tumble...
Russia Boosts Budget Reserve Fund Amid Falling Oil Revenues
Russia's finance ministry announced plans to lower the cut‑off price that triggers the transfer of oil revenues into the budget reserve fund. The move aims to channel more of the declining oil proceeds into the $56 billion reserve to protect it...
Cohen & Company Raises €481.5m for Subordinated Insurance Debt Funds
Fixed income specialist Cohen & Company announced that its European subsidiary raised €481.5 million for the PriDe IV subordinated insurance debt fund, the firm’s largest European vintage to date. The fund continues the company’s strategy of providing Tier II capital to small and...
AECI Grows Ebitda, Ebitda Margin; to Invest in Plants and Equipment in 2026
AECI reported a record R3.4 billion EBITDA and an 11% margin despite a 4% drop in revenue to R32.1 billion. The company completed most non‑core asset disposals, generating R2.2 billion and cutting net debt to R465 million from R3.74 billion. Earnings per share turned positive,...
Renewable Energy Company EDPR's 2025 Recurring Profit Jumps 50% on US Growth
EDP Renovaveis reported a 50% jump in recurring net profit for 2025, reaching €330 million, driven by rapid U.S. capacity expansion. EBITDA rose 17% to €1.95 billion, with a target of €2.1 billion for 2026. The company added 2 GW of new capacity, over...
Overnight Trade
Crude oil rallied to $65.89 per barrel this morning as concerns over a potential Iranian conflict resurfaced, while the Canadian dollar held near 65.89 U.S. cents. In the grain sector, canola futures slipped to C$690.20 a tonne, pressured by a...
Practice Profile: Giving Everyone a Piece of the PE Pie
Citrin Cooperman, after private‑equity backing from New Mountain in 2021 and a Blackstone stake in 2025, rolled out a firm‑wide "P unit" program that gives every employee a share of the firm’s equity growth. The participation units vest based on...
Capacity Additions to Lift Indonesia’s Nickel Supply in 2026
Indonesia, which supplies roughly 65% of global nickel, is set to increase output to 2.9 million tonnes in 2026, an 11.9% rise from 2025. The boost stems from expanded mining permits at Weda Bay and the commissioning of several high‑pressure acid...
European Power Prices Plummet as Wind Surges and Demand Falls
European day‑ahead power contracts plunged on Wednesday as wind generation surged and demand fell across the region. Germany's baseload price dropped 20.6% to €75/MWh, while France’s fell 30% to €21/MWh. Wind output is set to reach 23.8 GW in Germany and...
UWMC Lifts 2025 Revenue but Trails Prior-Year Profit Peak
United Wholesale Mortgage’s parent, UWM Holdings, posted 2025 revenue of $3.16 billion, up from the prior year, driven by a record $163.4 billion in loan originations and higher gain‑on‑sale margins. Net income fell to $244 million, reflecting a $435 million mortgage‑servicing‑rights markdown and a...
Zambia to Build ‘Rainy Day’ Fund While Metals Surge
Zambia will establish a “rainy day” stabilisation fund to lock away surplus copper revenues as production hits record levels and prices hover near historic highs. The Treasury plans to finalise the fund’s framework this year before beginning deposits, using the...
Project Ramp-Ups and Capacity Expansions to Increase Australian Coal Output in 2026
Australia’s coal output remained flat in 2025 at roughly 65 mt, buoyed by the Olive Downs Complex and efficiency gains at Hunter Valley and Dawson. A 3.9% rise to 483.2 mt is forecast for 2026, driven by the Maxwell underground ramp‑up, capacity...
Defence Stocks Move in Different Terrain, PSUs Struggle at Peak
Defence stocks in India are showing a split trajectory as public‑sector undertakings (PSUs) like HAL and Bharat Dynamics slide, while private firms such as Data Patterns and Solar Industries post double‑digit gains. The Nifty Defence Index remains positive, up roughly...
Mombasa Port Congestion Disrupts Coffee Exports
Severe congestion at Kenya's Port of Mombasa is disrupting East Africa's coffee trade, with major exporter Sucafina warning of missed shipments and rising costs. Truck queues, customs bottlenecks, and limited empty‑container depots have left vessels idle and cargo handovers delayed....
Ahead of Earnings, Is London Stock Exchange Group a Buy, Sell or Hold?
London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) will publish its Q4 2025 earnings on February 26, with analysts zeroing in on annual subscription‑value growth, 2026 guidance, and the impact of Elliott Investment’s stake. Morningstar’s fair‑value model places the stock at GBX 11,200, assuming a 5%...
Funds Slowly Lifting Wheat Postion
Managed‑money funds have begun easing their long‑standing short stance in wheat, reducing a net short of 97,370 contracts (13.2 million tonnes) after buying back 26,772 contracts in the week to February 17. The spring wheat market remains the most heavily shorted, with...
South Africa to Earmark R1.58 Trillion Towards Social Services
South Africa’s 2024 budget earmarks R2.67 trillion in total spending, with R1.58 trillion directed to social services. The largest allocations go to education (R527.2 billion), social development (R446.6 billion), health (R310.4 billion) and economic development (R283.9 billion). Peace and security receives R274.6 billion, funding police, defence and...
NSE IX Launches ‘Global Access’ Platform; Allows Easy Access to Overseas Markets for Indian Retail Investors
The NSE International Exchange (NSE IX) has soft‑launched its Global Access platform, allowing Indian retail investors to trade U.S. equities, debt and ETFs directly. The service uses a fully digital KYC process, supports fractional share purchases, and operates under the RBI’s...
Lipton Rogers and LaSalle Trim Down Barbican Office Scheme After Backlash
Lipton Rogers, on behalf of LaSalle, has submitted a revised plan for the 1 Silk Street office project at London’s Barbican Estate, trimming the western tower from 20 to 17 storeys after more than 1,000 objections. The redesign cuts total office space...
FHFA VantageScore Savings Sized up, FICO Expands in Mortgage
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) plans to adopt VantageScore 4.0 alongside FICO’s 10T score as part of a mandated modernization effort. A Deep Future Analytics study projects that competitive use of VantageScore could cut mortgage credit‑score fees by more than...
AMC Is Closing More Theaters: List of Doomed Cinema Locations Will Grow in 2026 as Meme Stock Craze Sputters
AMC Entertainment announced it will continue closing more theaters than it opens, citing a weak financial outlook. Q4 2025 revenue slipped to $1.28 billion, a 1.4% decline, while global attendance fell nearly 10% to 56.3 million. U.S. attendance dropped 7.5% and international attendance...
Waaree Energies, Premier Energies Slip After US Announces 126% Duty on Solar Imports, Firms See No Material Impact
The U.S. announced a preliminary 126% counter‑vailing duty on certain solar imports from India, sending Waaree Energies and Premier Energies shares sharply lower—Waaree down 10% and Premier down 6%. Both companies said they have diversified supply chains and ongoing US...
Equity ETFs in Europe Hit Record Inflows in 2025: EFAMA
European UCITS funds recorded a record €828 billion in net sales for 2025, pushing total assets above €25 trillion for the first time. Equity ETFs led the surge with €261 billion of net new money, while bond ETFs lagged behind non‑ETF bond funds....
Revenue Inches up as eXp Focuses on Efficiency, Agent Retention
eXp World Holdings reported full‑year 2025 revenue of $4.77 billion, a modest 4% increase, while its net loss widened to $22.7 million due to heavy back‑end investments. The brokerage highlighted efficiency gains, a new AI training program, an automated payment system, and...
Inside the Programs Reshaping Financial Planning's Talent Pipeline
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board is expanding its influence in higher education, with more than 360 registered programs and a 16% growth in offerings since 2020. Universities from Michigan State to Wisconsin‑Madison are launching minors, certificates, and even doctoral...
Japanese Chemical Firms Pivot From China to India
Japanese chemical giants such as Mitsui Chemicals and Sumitomo Chemical are scaling back their China operations and redirecting capital to India. Investment in China dropped 46% year‑over‑year in 2024, while the number of Japanese sites in India rose to 5,205,...
China’s Biopharma Advance Draws Financial Investment
Chinese biotech firms are moving beyond licensing deals as capital markets open, highlighted by a 64% rise in the Hang Seng Biotech Index in 2025. Reforms to listing rules since 2018 have unlocked public financing, enabling a record $138 billion in...
White House Unveils $1,000 Federal Retirement Match For Workers Left Out of 401(k)s
The White House announced a new federal retirement savings option that would automatically enroll workers without employer‑sponsored plans and provide a taxpayer‑funded match of up to $1,000 per year. The proposal targets the roughly 45 million Americans who lack access to...
EIA Sees USA Energy Demand Under 2025 Levels for Next 2 Years
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s February 10 Short‑Term Energy Outlook projects total U.S. energy consumption to stay below 2025 levels in both 2026 (96.00 qBtu) and 2027 (96.15 qBtu), marginally under the 96.19 qBtu recorded in 2025. While overall demand flattens, liquid‑fuel use...
Trump Administration to Use Pentagon AI to Set Mineral Reference Prices — Gallium and Germanium Among First Four Targets
The Trump administration will deploy DARPA’s Open Price Exploration for National Security (OPEN) AI system to establish reference prices for critical minerals, starting with germanium, gallium, antimony and tungsten. The tool calculates fair values by stripping out alleged Chinese market...
Atenor Secures Planning Permission for Retrofit of 10 New Bridge Street Offices
Atenor has obtained planning permission for a deep‑retrofit of its Fleet House office at 10 New Bridge Street in the City of London. The scheme will preserve roughly 73% of the 1960s‑era structure while adding a ninth floor and a...
XFLT: The Yield Is Eroding NAV While Earnings Struggle (Rating Downgrade)
XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust (XFLT) has been downgraded to a sell as earnings continue to decline and growth remains limited. The fund now trades at a roughly 20.21 % discount to NAV, reflecting persistent portfolio challenges rather...
New Deal on Copa ConnectMiles: Buy Miles With up to a 60% Bonus (1.88¢ Each)
Copa Airlines is running a ConnectMiles promotion that adds a 60% bonus to purchases, bringing the effective price down to 1.88 ¢ per mile for transactions up to 100,000 miles. The offer runs until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 27 2026, limits members to...
Australia Ships LNG 16,000 Miles to Canada as Asia Demand Slumps
Australia’s Gorgon‑linked LNG exporter sent a cargo aboard the Maran Gas Hector to eastern Canada, covering roughly 16,000 miles – the longest route for Australian LNG to date. The move reflects a sharp slowdown in Asian demand, where shipments to...
Botswana Diamonds Rebrands, Targeting Copper
Botswana Diamonds announced it will rebrand as Botswana Minerals and adopt the ticker BMIN, reflecting a strategic pivot toward copper exploration. An AI‑driven analysis of its 95,000 sq km geological database uncovered 11 high‑potential copper targets, leading to eight new licences. The...
ABP Signs Amazon for 120,000 Sq Ft at Port of Cardiff
Amazon has signed a lease for a 120,000 sq ft Grade‑A logistics unit at the Port of Cardiff, the first phase of Associated British Ports’ new business‑park development. The 24‑acre site was quickly adapted to meet Amazon’s specifications and is already operational....
Costco's Auto Program: Can Membership Pricing Really Save You Money on a Car?
Costco’s Auto Program connects members with vetted dealerships that offer pre‑arranged pricing on new, electric, and certified‑pre‑owned vehicles. Average discounts hover around $1,000, and members also receive a 15% discount on parts and service up to $500 per visit. The...
Trading Technologies to Offer Direct Connectivity to India’s National Stock Exchange
Trading Technologies International will launch direct, co‑located connectivity to India’s National Stock Exchange, giving institutional clients full access to NSE liquidity and advanced algorithms such as Autospreader and Algo Design Lab. Simultaneously, TP ICAP is converting its Fusion Digital Assets crypto...
Delhi-Katra Expressway Construction on Track, Will Be Completed by March 2027: NHAI
The National Expressway 5, linking Delhi, Amritsar and Katra, is slated for completion by March 2027 after a slowdown caused by Operation Sindoor and severe flooding. Construction, which began in April 2021, has regained momentum using segmental bridge technology and an elevated 21.5‑km corridor....
B.C. Widow Worried About Retirement Income with OAS Clawbacks
A 68‑year‑old British Columbia widow faces reduced Old Age Security benefits and worries about funding a $600,000 home renovation while maintaining an $80,000 after‑tax annual income. Her current income comes from a modest employer pension, CPP, OAS, and withdrawals from...
To Harness Saudi Arabia’s Demographic Dividend, Riyadh Must Invest in Human Capital
Saudi Arabia has appointed Fahad Al‑Saif as minister of investment, signaling a pivot from pure capital accumulation to a focus on total factor productivity. Foreign direct investment inflows have surged from roughly $3 billion in 2019 to $22‑28 billion today, while outbound...
Oppenheimer Hires Former Stern Brothers Managing Director Vien Le
Oppenheimer has added former Stern Brothers managing director Vien Le to its public finance investment‑banking group in Los Angeles. Le brings more than two decades of municipal finance experience, having advised the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the state...
Summer Hot Spot Eyes Transfer Tax on $1 Million Sales To Fund Local Housing
Barnstable County’s Assembly of Delegates approved a home‑rule petition to impose a real‑estate transfer tax on sales exceeding $1 million, lowering the original $2 million threshold and allowing municipalities to set rates between 0.5% and 4% on the amount above the threshold....
DICT Outlines Massive 18GW Data Center Expansion to Lead ASEAN
Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology announced an 18‑gigawatt data‑center expansion plan over the next decade, aiming to become Southeast Asia’s digital hub. The rollout targets 1.5 GW of new capacity by end‑2027 and at least 1 GW annually thereafter. Investments...
Keurig Dr Pepper’s Split Plan Could Unlock Hidden Value
Keurig Dr Pepper posted a strong Q4, with revenue rising 10.5% to $4.45 billion and earnings beating forecasts. The company secured an additional $1.5 billion in preferred equity, lifting total preferred funding to $4.5 billion and eliminating the need for a partial IPO....
African Guarantee Fund: De-Risking Africa's Growth Story
The African Guarantee Fund (AGF) has leveraged nearly $3 billion in guarantees to mobilise $6.5 billion in loans for micro, small and medium enterprises across 44 African nations. By sharing credit risk with partner banks, the fund has reached more than 50,000...
TelevisaUnivision Narrows Q4 Net Loss Even With US Ad Decline
TelevisaUnivision reported Q4 revenue of $1.323 billion, a 2% decline year‑over‑year, while operating expenses rose 4% to $926.4 million. The company narrowed its net loss dramatically to $234.7 million from $809.7 million a year earlier. US advertising revenue fell 9% (6% excluding political ads),...
Nepal's Soyoil Exports to India Jump Tenfold on Duty Free Access
Nepal's soybean oil exports to India surged more than tenfold in 2025, reaching a record 694,153 metric tons and generating over $1 billion in revenue. The growth was driven by duty‑free access under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement, allowing Nepal...
Separate Ways II: The SMA Playbook for 2026
Separately managed accounts (SMAs) are now the dominant channel for institutional capital, driven by demand for customized exposure and fee transparency. A new report surveying 100 hedge fund managers and 50 allocators uncovers operational friction points, especially around data transparency...