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☆ Deutsche Bank and UniCredit back $4.5 billion insurance startup Wefox with $55 million in fresh funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wefox, the $4.5 billion German insurance technology group, has raised $55 million of fresh funding from Deutsche Bank and UniCredit , two anonymous sources familiar with the deal told CNBC. The deal was structured as a convertible debt agreement, meaning that the debt will be converted into equity when Wefox next raises cash, the sources told CNBC. The fresh funding follows on from a $55 million debt round Wefox raised from JPMorgan and Barclays and a $55 million internal fundraise earlier this year. As Wefox didn't raise equity, its valuation remains unchanged at $4.5 billion. Wefox is also pushing into a new model of selling insurance called "affinity" distribution.

Persons: Wefox, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Deutsche Bank, CNBC, JPMorgan, Barclays, VC, Salesforce Ventures, Target, Horizon Ventures, UBS, Mubadala Capital Ventures, Jupiter Asset Locations: U.S, Germany, Paris, Barcelona, Milan

☆ World Bank Eyes Speeding up Loan Approvals Amid Bold Overhaul
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Disbursements currently take an average of 27 months from the time the bank gets a loan request. Adding resources to the implementation stage of projects backed by the bank is another way of reducing the timeframe of disbursements, Mountfield said. The World Bank has launched a broader reform process that includes stretching its balance sheet as international threats from geopolitical tensions to global warming pile pressure on vulnerable nations. The United States, the bank's largest shareholder, has been urging the bank for months to take bolder and faster steps to free up resources. The study, carried out by international finance analytics firm Risk Control, found the bank's two main lending arms, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), have "significant headroom" to boost lending.

Persons: Rosario, Elisa Martinuzzi, Ed Mountfield, Mountfield, Disbursements, Jorgelina, Christina Fincher Organizations: Elisa Martinuzzi LONDON, Bank, Operations, Country Services, World Bank, Reuters, AAA, Rockefeller Foundation, International Bank for Reconstruction, International Development Association, IDA Locations: London, United States

☆ SoftBank Corp raises $800 mln through Japan's first listing of bond-type shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Corp's (9434.T) bond-type shares were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday in the first such listing in Japan, raising a total of 120 billion yen ($799 million) on strong retail and institutional investor demand. As of 0359 GMT, the shares were trading at 4,035 yen, above the offering price of 4,000 yen. The offering was primarily aimed at retail investors and demand appears to have been strong among both retail and institutional investors. While SoftBank did not disclose total demand, when asked about retail interest, Miyakawa said he was grateful for the level of demand. As the shares are publicly listed, they can be purchased through the tax-efficient Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA), unlike corporate bonds.

Persons: Corp's, Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBank, Miyakawa, Anton Bridge, Francis Tang, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, Savings, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ An investment research veteran with 20 years of experience names 10 top contrarian stock picks that could see higher earnings ahead despite lower analyst expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mark Reeth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

As earnings season grinds on, Wall Street has been pleasantly surprised by the results. Sometimes the pros might be bearish on a stock, while simultaneously raising their earnings expectations for that very same company. Taking advantage of the difference between what Wall Street says will happen and where they expect earnings to go can prove a profitable trading strategy. Just ask Sam Burns, founder and chief strategist of Mill Street Research, an independent investment research firm geared towards institutional investors. Burns will then take those stocks and run them through his proprietary Monitor of Analysts' Earnings Revisions model.

Persons: Julian Emanuel, you'd, Sam Burns, Burns Organizations: Evercore ISI, Mill, Research, Wall, Analysts

☆ Climate tech is like catnip to investors. Here's why the $13 billion sector is outperforming other industries.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Europe's startup ecosystem has been battered this year but climate tech founders have managed to avoid the brunt of the immense downturn so far. PwC's global analysis of the sector also points to climate tech outperforming the norm, accounting for a tenth of private market investments in 2023. Venture capital investment into European startups more broadly is primed to slump by around 46% to 58.1 billion euros in 2023. These obligations have helped make climate tech startups "catnip to investors," Sustainable Ventures' Stuart Ferguson said. Last year, European companies like electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar and batter-maker Northvolt raised 1.6 billion euros and 1 billion euros respectively.

Persons: They've, Stuart Ferguson, Fabian Heilemann, Heilemann, Biden's, Warner, Namratha, Mark Bula, Northvolt, Lisa Barclay, Ferguson, Aenu's Organizations: Steel, Venture, Sustainable Ventures, Warner, Ada Ventures, Elyos Energy, Green Steel, Nesta, Investments Locations: Swedish, British, Norwegian, London, Norway

☆ The War on College Campuses
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Lauren Camera | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +16 min

College campuses have always been bastions of protest, where young, energetic students push older generations in the direction of the next social or political reform. Notably, the prevailing notions of the liberal bent of college campuses are not incorrect. According to a 2023 survey by FIRE of roughly 1,500 four-year college professors, 50% identify as liberal, 17% as moderate, and 26% as conservative. Analysts say the recent inflammatory examples that have not only riven college campuses but altered the way many Americans view them also underscore the increasing difficulty observers in the U.S. have of sitting with complex developments. Many of the country’s most elite schools actually perform the worst, according to the 2024 College Free Speech Ranking by FIRE.

Persons: Ron DeSantis –, “, ”, –, Zach Greenberg, Nikki Haley, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Pell Grant, Donald Trump, Strawn, Davis Polk, Sarah Lawrence, Samuel Abrams, ” Greenberg, Joe Biden, Peter Coleman, Morton, Coleman, “ We’re, Tony Banout, ” Banout, ” Coleman Organizations: Hamas, National Students for Justice, Florida Gov, College, Foundation, Rights, ”, U.S ., Harvard’s, for Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Committee, George Washington University, GOP, Former South Carolina Gov, Customs, Winston, Wardwell, Harvard University, Columbia University, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, FIRE, Sarah Lawrence College, New York Times, Columbia, America – Democrats, Republicans, Jewish, Tulane University, Cornell University, FBI, White, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Morton Deutsch International, for Cooperation, Israel, University of Chicago, University of Chicago Forum, Free Locations: Israel, Palestine, America, Florida, Gaza, U.S, Former, ., Carolina, Columbia, Costa Rica

The Biden Administration proposes a crackdown on "junk fees" in retirement savings plans. However, high expense ratios in your account may be cutting into your future retirement savings. But there are still some preventive steps you can take to minimize any potential "junk fees" in your retirement savings plan. 4 ways to lower 'junk fees' in your retirement planThe Biden Administration wants to crack down on "junk fees" in 401(k)s and other investment accounts. Until then, here are four steps you can take to lower fees in your retirement savings plan.

Persons: Biden, —, Charles Schwab, Robinhood, Judy Diamond's, Roth, it's, Teresa Bailey, Chloe Wohlforth Organizations: Service, US Department of Labor, Biden Administration, Employers, Mutual, Roth IRA, Waddell & Associates, Robinhood, Department of Labor, CFP, Angeles Wealth Management

☆ Morgan Stanley’s new CEO inherits rich pickings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A good place to start is outside Morgan Stanley’s home market. Morgan Stanley’s two last big acquisitions were chunky, at a combined $20 billion, but also filled niches. E*Trade, an online brokerage, brought millions of households and company employees that Morgan Stanley hadn’t previously served. Eaton Vance, a U.S. asset manager, peddles investment products that Morgan Stanley now funnels through sales teams in far-flung markets. CEO Jane Fraser shows no inclination to sell private banking, which for now sits within the group’s $756 billion global wealth management bucket.

Persons: Ted Pick’s, Morgan Stanley, Pick, James Gorman, Morgan, Gorman, Germany’s, Britain’s, Morgan Stanley’s, Morgan Stanley hadn’t, Eaton Vance, Smith Barney, watchdogs, Jane Fraser, It’s, Noel Quinn’s, Ping, Colm Kelleher, Ted Pick, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Credit Suisse, McKinsey ., Morgan, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Infrastructure, Citi, U.S, HSBC, HK, UBS, Thomson Locations: U.S, American, Asia, Pacific, Japan, India, China, French, Europe, Switzerland, HK, Swiss

But areas of the market dominated by small stocks and frequented by the country's retail investors have done surprisingly well. Scores of retail investors are dabbling in micro-cap stocks - stocks whose market capitalisation is tiny - operating under the radar of big funds and investors and their massive market-moving flows. Strategies such as Cui's stand out this year in a stock market depressed by China's wobbly economy, heightened geopolitical risks and surging overseas interest rates. Some brokerages are starting to recommend micro stocks to clients. GF Securities said in an October strategy report that buying micro stocks is part of a new investment paradigm in a stock market suffering from anaemic growth, and global decoupling risks.

Persons: Aly, horribilis, Joseph Cui, Cui, Yuan Yuwei, Helen Wu, Wu, Yi Huiman, Lu Deyong, Seres, Lu, Huang Yan, Jason Xue, Samuel Shen, Summer Zhen, Vidya Ranganathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Huawei Technologies, Regulators, Wisdom Asset, China Securities Regulatory Commission, Huawei, Security Technology, TRS Information Technology, Automotive, Seres, Securities, Shanghai QiuYang, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, United States, ChatGPT, Ningbo, Summer, Hong Kong

Mining companies in the West are facing two overarching challenges in trying to produce enough metals to enable the energy transition, and at the same time build alternative supply chains to lessen their dependence on China. There is little doubt that Australia is a country well-placed to play a major role in supplying many of the metals vital to the energy transition. The previous models for developing mines appear no longer effective, and even if some projects do progress, they are nowhere near enough to provide enough material for the energy transition. Michael Willoughby, global head of metals, mining and transition materials at HSBC, told a forum at IMARC that there is capital available for mining, but it's located in developing countries such as China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. What's not being talked about is how all the new mines, mineral processing and renewable energy equipment is going to be funded.

Persons: Washington Alves, Michael Willoughby, Willoughby, Miral Organizations: Sigma Lithium Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters . Mining, Mining, Resources Conference, HSBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil, China, Sydney, Asia, Australia, CHINA, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, New South Wales, U.S

☆ Larry Fink’s next M&A may go in surprise direction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Reuters GraphicsTIPPING THE SCALESThe shift to low-fee products helped BlackRock’s assets under management swell to more than $9 trillion at the end of September. BlackRock’s history with Blackstone means a reunion with Stephen Schwarzman’s $110 billion firm is a persistent Wall Street rumor. BlackRock’s funds operate under a single name, so uniting with Carlyle (CG.O) or Apollo Global Management (APO.N) would pose a branding challenge. Fink might covet MSCI (MSCI.N), the $38 billion firm which aggregates many of the benchmarks tracked by BlackRock’s ETFs. Given Fink’s long record of pulling off opportunistic and transformational deals, it would be foolish to bet against him springing one last surprise.

Persons: Larry Fink, Fink, Merrill, Rowe Price, Janus Henderson, Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman’s, Carlyle, covet, MSCI, Michael Bloomberg, doesn’t, LSEG –, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum, Streisand Neto Organizations: CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, BlackRock, Blackstone, Barclays Global Investors, Credit Suisse, UBS, nab, Graphics, Apollo Global Management, London Stock Exchange, Thomson Reuters, New, Bloomberg, Wall Street, New York Times, LSEG – Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, BlackRock, Boston, Swiss, New York, United States

☆ How This Year’s Hottest Investment Could End Up Costing You
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Eric Wallerstein | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cash has rarely been this hot on Wall Street. Financial advisers warn holding too much can burn a hole in your portfolio. With markets rocky and cash earning 5% or more, investors have boosted their holdings of money-market funds to a near-record $5.6 trillion, according to the Investment Company Institute. Both individuals and institutional investors are piling in—asset managers now have roughly one-fifth of their portfolios in money-market funds, State Street data show.

Persons: Cash Organizations: Investment Company Institute

☆ BlackRock's next high-stakes bet: lending out cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Goldstone was referring to a type of business-development company, an investment vehicle widely used in the private-credit market. The vehicle Condor allocated to is a slice of BlackRock's $81 billion private-credit business, which is part of the wider $317 billion alternative-assets platform. 'Size matters'In the summer, BlackRock executives teased out their focus on private credit and fixed income broadly during an investor-day presentation. BlackRock's string of private-credit developments adds up to a long-term bet that this dynamic will continue. "That, in essence, is the paradox of private credit."

Persons: David Goldstone, Goldstone, BDC, it's, hasn't, Rowe Price, Franklin Templeton, Blackstone, Axel Springer, Greg Greifeld, Greifeld, Tim Clarke, Rob Kapito, We've, Jim Keenan, BDCs, Keenan, Clarke, PitchBook, they're, Larry Fink, " Fink, Merrill Lynch, BlackRock, Jared Gross, J.P, Phil Tseng, BlackRock's, Gross, Morgan Organizations: Condor Capital Wealth Management, Condor, BlackRock, BlackRock doesn't, Federal Reserve, Fidelity, Apollo, KKR, Growth, BlackRock TCP Capital Corp, BlackRock Capital Investment Corp, Kreos, Barclays, Tennenbaum Capital Partners, Morgan, who's Locations: New Jersey, BlackRock, PitchBook, Banks, London

☆ A Meteoric Career, Cut Short, Still Burns Bright
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Travis Diehl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A heavy irony hangs over Michael Richards’s work: The artist known for images of pilots, airplanes, wings and targets died, age 38, in the Sept. 11 attacks. He had spent the night in his studio on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower. But it’s likely that, had he lived, we would still be discussing Richards’s sculpture. In his handful of active years, he was beloved by curators and peers, and found consistent institutional support. Dread Scott, an artist and friend of Richards’s, recalled their conversations ranging over “W.E.B.

Persons: Michael Richards’s, Nari, Kerry James Marshall, Dread Scott, Richards’s, Du Bois, Wu Tang Clan, Richards, Rodney King Organizations: Trade, Bronx Museum, Arts, Jan Locations: Nari Ward, Brazil

December Brent crude futures , set to expire on Tuesday, rose 36 cents, or 0.41%, to stand at $87.81 a barrel by 0305 GMT. "If this evolves into a full-scale invasion and there is involvement from Iran, tighter supply worries could resurface." In a note, ING analysts said, "Disruptions to Iranian oil flows remain the most obvious risk to the market." Such lost supply could range between 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 1 million bpd if the United States strictly enforces sanctions once again, they added, although Middle East developments had yet to affect oil supply. Weaker-than-expected manufacturing and non-manufacturing activity data from China stoked fears of slowing fuel demand from the world's No.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Brent, Leon Li, China stoked, CME's, Laura Sanicola, Trixie Yap, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, Federal Reserve, Markets, ING, U.S, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, China, Wednesday's U.S, Gaza, Iran, Shanghai, Israel, United States, Venezuela, riven

☆ Morgan Stanley gave a $20 million bonus to its incoming CEO, and to the 2 rival execs who missed out on the top job
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Morgan Stanley is giving $20 million bonuses to its incoming CEO and the two other candidates. Morgan Stanley said the awards would ensure "that each executive continues their outstanding leadership in their new roles. AdvertisementAdvertisementMorgan Stanley is giving $20 million bonuses to its incoming CEO and the two other executives who missed out on the top role. Morgan Stanley said in a filing Friday that its board's compensation, management-development, and succession committee had approved one-time equity-based awards to Pick, Saperstein, and Simkowitz. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn 2022, Pick, Saperstein, and Simkowitz each had a base salary of $1 million.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Ted Pick, Dan Simkowitz, Andy Saperstein, —, James Gorman, Pick, Gorman, Ted Organizations: Service, Street, Institutional Securities Group, Company

☆ ECB's Enria says reforming some banks is 'disappointingly slow'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank has made "disappointingly slow" progress in tackling core issues at some banks it supervises, while too little integration in the sector remains a "dangerous fault line," ECB top banking supervisor Andrea Enria said on Monday. "But a failure to tackle weaknesses that have been identified could lead to existential threats for banks, as we saw at Credit Suisse and some US regional banks in the Spring of 2023," he added. More cross-border consolidation among banks would put the sector on a stronger footing, but there is a lack of support for this from EU states, he said. But if the system breaks down again, repairing it could prove to be very difficult and expensive." Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Chris Reese and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrea Enria, Enria, Huw Jones, Chris Reese, Hugh Lawson Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Credit Suisse, Silicon Valley Bank, Federal Reserve, Basel Committee, London School of Economics, Thomson Locations: Silicon, Basel

☆ Analysis: Three years after DirectBooks, US bond market still phoning it in
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Shankar Ramakrishnan | Thomson Reuters | Shankar Ramakrishnan Has Nearly Years Of Financial Journalism Experience In Writing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

There is also some concern about job losses and loss of market access by smaller banks. Changing an organization's behavior is difficult and takes sustained effort, said DirectBooks CEO Rich Kerschner. Interest in automation grew as desks struggled with corporate bond volumes that touched a record $1.78 trillion in 2020. Three years into it, only a small proportion of orders and allocation messages for a new bond were going through DirectBooks. Once in place, hundreds of investors using OMS platforms could send their order messages and receive allocation messages through DirectBooks, said Kerschner.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Rich Kerschner, Spencer Lee, salespeople, Daniel Botoff, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, DirectBooks, Chris Sztam, BlackRock's Aladdin, RBC's Botoff, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Anna Driver Organizations: New York Stock, REUTERS, Bloomberg, underwriters, RBC Capital Markets, Bank of America, Barclays, BNP, Citi, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, P Global Market Intelligence, Development, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Wells, DirectBooks, Charles

☆ There's a 'game of thrones' in AI, but these China tech giants offer real value, tech veteran says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

China's tech giants may be reeling from the regulatory clampdowns imposed by the government, but they still have "a lot of value," according to veteran analyst Dan Ives. "I think [for] China tech, there's a lot of value there when you look at Baidu , JD , Tencent and others. Because of China's regulatory restrictions, more institutional investors in Asia are focusing on U.S. tech instead, Ives added. It has a target price of $168 for Baidu — giving it around 56% potential upside from its Oct. 25 close — and $38 for JD.com, or around 50% upside. HSBC has a 425 Hong Kong dollar ($54.34) price target on Tencent, giving it an upside of around 48%.

Persons: Dan Ives, Tencent, that's, CNBC's, Ives, Goldman Sachs, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Baidu, JD, Wedbush Securities, HSBC, Hong Kong, Hong Locations: China, Asia, British, Hong Kong

☆ Standard Chartered-owned crypto firm Zodia launches in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zodia Custody, the crypto security firm owned by British banking giant Standard Chartered, is launching its services in Hong Kong, the company told CNBC exclusively. "The Hong Kong government and the regulators see digital assets as the future and also want Hong Kong to be a hub," Sawyer said. Hong Kong has been increasingly warming to crypto assets despite a broader anti-crypto push from China, which banned bitcoin trading and mining in 2021. At first, it will seek to provide services for Hong Kong clients in a limit set of crypto assets. Zodia is also in discussions with both the SFC and Hong Kong Monetary Authority about becoming regulated in the financial district.

Persons: Julian Sawyer, Sawyer, Zodia Organizations: CNBC, Hong, Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, Japan's SBI Holdings ., Hong Kong Securities, Futures Commission, OSL, SFC, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Locations: Hong Kong, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Japan's SBI Holdings . Hong Kong, China

☆ Inside Citadel Securities' six-week-long training for newbie traders, where playing poker and learning to fail are part of the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Citadel, a hedge fund, and Citadel Securities, its sister market-making firm, were founded by billionaire Ken Griffin in 1990 and 2002. This work-hard, play-hard culture is evident in the firms' training of new employees, including its most junior ranks. They also had a Q&A with Peng Zhao, the CEO of Citadel Securities, who touched on how to prioritize time and find ways to be a leader, among other topics. The training program hasn't always been quite this involved. Fan lives in New York and will be based in Citadel Securities' Manhattan office.

Persons: onboarding, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Pete Becker, PATRICK T, FALLON, Peng Zhao, hasn't, It's Becker's, Becker, Joe DeNotta, Olivia Fan, Olivia, DeNotta, would've, It's, Pete, Andrew, We'll, We've, They're, Fan Organizations: Citadel Securities, Disney, Citadel, New York Stock Exchange, Getty, Harvard, MIT Locations: Midtown, New York, Manhattan

☆ Native American populations are ‘invisible’ to banks. That needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Before the Bell: What do investors need to know about investing in Native American and Alaskan Native communities? Dawson Her Many Horses: Native American and Alaskan Native communities are more than an ethnic group or racial category. The National League Gaming Commission, which is the regulator for Native American casinos, publishes a yearly report on gross gaming revenues for casinos. When you look at some of the research that gets done, Native American and Alaskan Native households are almost always the most underbanked. People like to focus on what I call the ‘poverty porn’ aspects of Native American and Alaskan Native communities.

Persons: Dawson, “, “ I’ve, ”, Bell, Banks, Wells, That’s, we’ve, Wells Fargo, they’re, Danielle Wiener, Bronner, Kit Kat, ” Hershey, Michele Buck, It’s, Dan Sadler, Covid shutdowns Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, CNN, Wells, Rosebud Sioux, The National League Gaming Commission, Bank of America, Federal, American Finance, Silicon Valley Bank, Hershey, Consumers, Dow, Federal Reserve, Apple Locations: New York, Rosebud, South Dakota, Wells Fargo, United States, Federal Government, Silicon, New York City, Alaska, Oklahoma, confections

The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) unveiled plans earlier this year to combine with London Innovation Underwriters and raise additional funds to deploy in the Lloyd's of London insurance market. The deal by Financials Acquisition Corp differs from a typical SPAC merger because the company has set up London Innovation Underwriters itself. It is not the first time that public market investors in London have backed a new insurance venture. In 2020, Conduit Holdings (CRE.L) listed on the London Stock Exchange, subsequently starting reinsurance activities. UBS and HSBC are joint global coordinators to the Financials Acquisition deal.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, Sarah Meyssonnier, William Allen, Lloyd's, Beazley, Carolyn Cohn, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Anousha Organizations: City of, REUTERS, Financials, London Innovation Underwriters, Lloyds, Innovation Underwriters, Conduit Holdings, London Stock Exchange, UBS, HSBC, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, London, Lancashire, Lloyd's

☆ Activist Impactive sees an opportunity to build value with an ESG tilt at Concentrix
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Business: Concentrix provides technology-infused customer experience (CX) solutions and runs customer service for 2,000 customers globally. They are the second largest outsourced CX company globally and provide CX process optimization, technology innovation, front- and back-office automation, analytics and business transformation services. Activist Commentary: Impactive Capital is an activist hedge fund founded in 2018 by Lauren Taylor Wolfe and Christian Alejandro Asmar. Impactive Capital is an active ESG (AESG) investor that launched with a $250 million investment from CalSTRS and now has almost $3 billion. Concentrix, the second-largest outsourced CX company globally, is a high-quality business.

Persons: Lauren Taylor Wolfe, Christian Alejandro Asmar, Wolfe, Asmar, Impactive, Concentrix, Ken Squire Organizations: CX, Impactive, Concentrix, 13D Locations: Impactive, CalSTRS, Asia, Caribbean, United States

☆ Republicans are desperate for attention — and it's decimating their ability to govern
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

In the end, the only man who could unify House Republicans behind him was a relatively little-known and mild-mannered evangelical Christian from Louisiana. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs the speaker saga wore on, it provoked questions among some House Republicans: How could it be that they had failed to elect a speaker for so long? While Gaetz maintains otherwise, his angry GOP colleagues have plenty of evidence to make their case that it was an attention ploy. Rep. Matt Gaetz surrounded by reporters and cameras after the House voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership. The attention economy doesn't preclude an ability to govern — an effective politician might seek to harness their celebrity towards worthy ends.

Persons: Mike Johnson's, Matt Gaetz, Kevin McCarthy, Garrett Graves, Sen, Thom Tillis, Madison Cawthorn, Tillis, Drew Angerer, Greg Murphy of, Nancy Mace, McCarthy, Mace, I'm, Win McNamee, Josh Hawley, Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump's, Nicole Wallace, Obama, JD Vance, Ohio, Vance, Ted Cruz, Jose Luis Magana, denialism, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Brett Kavanaugh, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders, it's, Rep, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Kelly Armstrong, Adam Schiff, Chip Somodevilla, Bob Good, Virginia, Gaetz, —, Ken Buck, Colorado, Hawley deadpanned, Mike Lawler, I've, Cruz, Buck, Joe Biden, Liz Cheney Organizations: Republicans, GOP, North Carolina Republican, Getty, Twitter, South Carolina, Republican, Rep, Fox News, Republican Party, Conservative Political, Conference, AP, Cannon, South, Democratic, Supreme, Biden, MSNBC, Democrats, Capitol, New York Post, Colorado Locations: Louisiana, Florida, Greg Murphy of North Carolina, Missouri, Hollywood, California, South Carolina, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Ukraine, New York, Ted Cruz of Texas

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