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☆ Buyouts are getting complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The terms say that the buyer cannot be forced to close before Oct. 15 – seven months after the deal’s announcement. A Tuesday proxy filing shows that’s to give Platinum enough time to sort out its debt financing. Qualtrics, meanwhile, sold in March for $12.5 billion – but it turns out it almost got more. An unnamed bidder offered $21 per share, more than the $18.15 that Qualtrics accepted from Silver Lake and CPP Investments. Buyouts are getting done, but they’re also getting complicated.

☆ Accusations against C3.ai: Baker Hughes pays it 'very large amounts' of money annually, says analyst
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAccusations against C3.ai: Baker Hughes pays it 'very large amounts' of money annually, says analystGil Luria of D.A. Davidson discusses a short seller's allegations against C3.ai and says C3.ai has a "multi-hundred million dollar" relationship with Baker Hughes.

☆ Adani trumpets stable ties to global banks in bid to ease investor worries, document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The document, which was reviewed by Reuters, did not elaborate on how the lenders reaffirmed their commitment to the Adani group. Adani group did not respond to a request for comment. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MUFG) (8306.T), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc's (8316.T) SMBC unit, Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), Standard Chartered (STAN.L) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) did not immediately respond. CONCERNS ABOUT DEBTThe Hindenburg report had sparked concern among investors about banks' exposures to the Adani group. Now, 39% of Adani's debt is currently in the form of bonds, 29% is from global banks and 32% comes from public or private banks in India, the Adani document added.

☆ Manhattan real estate sales plunge 38%, but cash deals hit all-time record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Manhattan real estate sales fell 38% in the first quarter, as buyers and sellers battled over prices and mortgage rates remained volatile, according to new reports. The average sales price fell 5% to $1.95 million and the median sales price fell 10% to $1.075 million, according to the report. The average discount from the initial list price to sales price in the first quarter price was 7%, up from 5% in the fourth quarter, according to Serhant. Overall, cash deals rose to a record 57% of all sales in the quarter, Miller said. "It's not by any stretch a seller's market, but it's getting busier each month."

☆ Block gave a 'robust' response to brutal short-seller report, and shares of the Cash App parent are looking at 40% upside, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Block gave a "robust" response to Hindenburg Research's report raising fraud concerns at the Cash App parent. The short-seller said its two-year investigation raised concerns about Block's reporting on monthly active accounts on Cash App and related compliance processes. "These metrics suggest that the short report's allegation that 40-75% of Cash App accounts are fake/fraudulent/duplicative is not credible." Hindenburg said Friday that Block's response "confirmed it has reported inflated user counts to investors for years." Downside risks to BofA's price objective include intensifying competition, macro conditions for small and medium-sized businesses, and a lack of diversification for Cash App revenue and gross profit streams.

☆ Block says Cash App has 44 mln verified monthly users after Hindenburg report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Block Inc (SQ.N) said on Thursday 44 million of its more 51 million monthly active customers on Cash App were verified through its identity program as of Dec. 31. The payments firm also estimated that the verified accounts constituted roughly 97% of Cash App inflows. After taking a short position in Block, the report alleged that the payments firm led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey overstated its Cash App user numbers and understated its customer acquisition costs. Block has denied the allegations, saying it would explore legal action against the short seller for its "factually inaccurate and misleading report" that was "designed to deceive and confuse investors". Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai and Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Amazon seller consultant admits to bribing employees to help clients; will plead guilty
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An influential consultant for Amazon sellers admitted Monday to bribing employees of the e-commerce giant for information to help his clients boost sales and to get their suspended accounts reinstated. "On some occasions, I paid bribes, directly and indirectly, to Amazon employees to obtain annotations and reinstate suspended accounts. Behind the scenes, scammers have for years resorted to illicit tactics to squash competitors, artificially boost their listings or bypass Amazon's marketplace rules. "No one should pay bribes to Amazon employees to provide private Amazon information," Rosenberg wrote on Monday. Nor should anyone pay any Amazon employees for any other special favors regarding a seller's account."

☆ Payments firm Block's Australian shares slump after Hindenburg report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Navya Mittal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 24 (Reuters) - Australia-listed shares of Block Inc , led by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, plunged 16.3% on Friday after Hindenburg Research alleged that the payments firm overstated its user numbers and understated its customer acquisition costs. Block, which is currently exploring a legal action against the short-seller, said the report was "factually inaccurate and misleading". Shares of the San Francisco-headquartered company led losses in Australia's benchmark ASX 200 Index (.AXJO) and hit their lowest since January 2023 at A$91.28. Block's $29 billion buyout of the Australian buy-now-pay-later firm Afterpay "was designed in a way that avoided responsible lending rules in its native Australia," the U.S. short-seller said in its report. ASX-listed Block shares plunge post Hindenburg's reportReporting by Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inside the $38 million mansion the seller wants to unload before April 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Ray Parisi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The owner, who wants to sell before April 1, is prepared to lose millions on it. Here's why: He bought the home less than two years ago for $44 million, then tried to sell the house a year later for $48 million. But those potential losses go even higher on April 1 when the city of LA enacts a 5.5% mansion tax on all real estate deals over $10 million. If the residence doesn't sell soon that new tax will add a $2.1 million tax bill to the deal, which could bring the seller's losses to just over $8.1 million. And near the end of the tour Malka openly discusses the home's dramatic price cuts, and why he wants to get it sold before April Fool's Day.

☆ Hindenburg takes aim at Dorsey's payments firm Block, shares plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Manya Saini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Block shares fell as much as 22% before paring losses and were last down 14% at $62.61 in afternoon trading. After reviewing the full report, Block said it was "designed to deceive and confuse investors". Hindenburg said that Block "obfuscates" how many individuals are on the Cash App platform by reporting misleading "transacting active" metrics filled with fake and duplicate accounts. The app had 51 million monthly transacting actives, a 16% year-over-year increase during December 2022, Block said in fourth-quarter earnings letter. "What I am really concerned about is the Cash App, accusations of fraud, multiple accounts, opening accounts and fake names.

☆ A prominent short-seller just released a bombshell report on payments darling Block. Here are the 4 biggest claims.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hindenburg Research on Thursday released a scathing report about Block, saying it inflated metrics. The short-seller financial research firm led by Nathan Anderson said it has taken a short position on Block shares after its two-year probe. The firm also said it ordered and "promptly received Our Donald J. Trump Visa Cash App card in the mail." It saw multiple Cash App accounts bearing the name "Jack Dorsey" as well as dozens of "Elon Musk"' and "Donald Trump'" fake accounts as well. "The only payment provider mentioned in the indictment was Cash App, which was used to facilitate the fraudulent COVID relief payments," wrote Hindenburg.

☆ The short seller who took on Adani and caused a $150 billion rout in the conglomerate's stock is releasing a new report — but it's not saying who's the next target yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Short seller Hindenburg Research teased it's releasing a new report. The research firm targeted the Adani Group in a January 24 report alleging manipulation and fraud. The research firm teased the upcoming report in a tweet on Wednesday, saying "New report soon — another big one." The report hit investor sentiment and sent Adani-related stocks into a tailspin, losing over $150 billion in about five weeks, according to Bloomberg. The Adani Group defended itself vigorously against Hindenburg's accusations, but the research firm also doubled down on its initial report.

☆ Block slides 20% after short-seller Hindenburg says 2-year investigation indicates the company has 'wildly overstated' genuine user counts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Block shares drop 20% on Thursday after Hindenburg Research said it's shorting the payments company. Hindenburg alleged Block "obfuscates" how many individuals are on its Cash App platform. Block shares dropped 19.5% to $58.51 as trading in Thursday's regular session got underway. Hindenburg said its two-year investigation into Block found the company "obfuscates" how many individuals are on its Cash App platform by reporting misleading "transacting active" metrics that are filled with fake and duplicate accounts. "Block can and should clarify to investors an estimate on how many unique people actually use Cash App," said Hindenburg, whose report in January targeted Indian conglomerate Adani Group.

☆ The IRS plans to tax some NFTs as collectibles — and the rich would pay up to 28% on profits
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Noam Galai | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesHow the IRS plans to tax NFTsNFT enthusiasm swelled in recent years along with the popularity of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin . An NFT offering a right to use or develop that virtual plot also generally isn't a collectible, the IRS said. Profit on those sales is taxed at ordinary income tax rates, which apply to wages, for example. (There are seven marginal tax rates, ranging from 10% up to 37%.) These tax rates are generally lower than ordinary income tax rates.

☆ 84% of recent first-time home sellers have regrets. Here are 4 mistakes to avoid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Brandon Bell | Getty Imageswatch now"Even in a really strong seller's market, people still have regrets," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow home trends expert. Here are four regrets from recent sellers that homeowners ought to be aware of before listing their homes this spring. "If you price it competitively, you're going to be able to sell it a lot quicker," Jenkin said. Homes that get more saves and views on Zillow have virtual, three-dimensional home tours and interactive floor plans, Pendleton said. Bad timingA quarter of recent sellers felt they got their timing wrong, Zillow found.

☆ Billionaire Charles Schwab's wealth plunged nearly $3 billion after his brokerage's shares were hammered amid the banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shares of Charles Schwab Corp fell sharply amid the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Investors are worried as Charles Schwab Corp is sitting on a significant amount of unrealized losses on its bond assets. Charles Schwab Corp — while best known for its discount brokerage business — also provides banking and loan services. Charles Schwab Corp even sought to soothe investor jitters in a statement on Monday, saying it has enough liquidity to weather any volatility. Charles Schwab Corp did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ A real estate investor whose firm says it holds $282 million in assets shares 8 insider tips that will give any beginner an edge, even if they have no cash to start
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But unlike other investment opportunities, real estate appealed to him because there were numerous areas where an investor could exercise control to increase the return on their investment. "The reason why I like real estate investing compared to the stock market is that the stock market is incredibly efficient. "Whereas real estate can definitely be an inefficient marketplace where you can gain the advantage." Start in places like real estate associations that regularly host events, conferences, and even breakfasts in cities across the country. You don't need a university degree to become a real-estate investor, but you can give yourself a head start with a few courses.

☆ A housing downturn is causing a reckoning in the once-hot cluster of proptech startups that let homebuyers pay all cash and win bidding wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In that market, all-cash offers were king to sellers because they ensured quicker, stress-free closings. According to Redfin, all-cash offers quadrupled the chances that a homebuyer would win a bidding war. Ribbon has since paused its all-cash offering, but some of the other firms that Insider featured last year are still making all-cash offers. FlyhomesFlyhomes is a real-estate brokerage that featured all-cash-offer services for years and distinguished itself in December 2021 with a free all-cash-offer product. "The value to the buyer is different than in a seller's market," Garg said in the email.

On average, this is how long it takes a homeowner to make up for mortgage interest and closing costs. Then, there are closing costs to consider. You aren't expecting to pay the capital gain tax, but there are still closing costs to consider. If $441,000 is your listing price, you can expect to pay 10% of it in closing costs — or $44,100. How to avoid selling too earlyIf you've done the math and found that you'll lose money if you sell the house, consider the alternatives.

☆ GQG Partners likely to increase Adani investment, says founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 8 (Reuters) - GQG Partners would likely expand its investment in the Adani group, the fund firm's founder Rajiv Jain said on Wednesday, a week after its $1.9 billion infusion into the embattled Indian conglomerate. GQG Partners, co-founded by Jain in 2016, bought shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies, marking the first major investment in the Indian conglomerate since a short-seller's critical report in January sparked a stock rout. Last week, pension fund investor Cbus Super, with A$71 billion ($46.82 billion) under management, told Reuters they had queried GQG about the Adani purchase. A GQG spokesperson said Jain's trip had been planned for some time and the discussions included topics other than Adani. Jain said he has not had a conversation with the Adani group since the transaction.

SYDNEY, March 7 (Reuters) - GQG Partners Inc founder Rajiv Jain will meet clients and investors in Australia this week, the company said in a statement on Tuesday, and will explain its investment into embattled Indian Adani group. GQG Partners bought shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies, marking the first major investment in the Indian conglomerate since a short-seller's critical report sparked a stock rout. "Rajiv Jain is visiting Australia this week to meet with investors. "It's also an opportunity to respond to any questions they have about the business including the Adani investment." It purchased the stock from the Adani family trust, according to the Indian firm's filings.

☆ India's Adani Group pre-pays over $900 million worth share-backed financing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, March 7 (Reuters) - Embattled Indian conglomerate Adani Group said it prepaid share-backed financing of 73.74 billion rupees ($901.16 million), as it looks to allay fears over leverage and debt since a U.S. short seller's critical report sparked a stock rout. Promoters of the group's flagship firm, Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), will release 31 million shares, or a 4% stake, while Adani Ports' (APSE.NS) promoters will release 155 million shares, or an 11.8% stake, the group said in a statement on Tuesday. Promoters of Adani Green Energy (ADNA.NS) and Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS) will release 1.2% and 4.5% stakes in the respective companies. With Tuesday's repayment, the group has so far repaid around $2.02 billion of share-backed financing, it said. GQG's founder Rajiv Jain will meet clients and investors in Australia this week to explain its investment in the Adani group, the company said in a separate statement on Tuesday.

SYDNEY/BENGALURU, March 3 (Reuters) - Adani shares surged on Friday after a $1.87 billion investment in the group by GQG Partners Inc eased concerns about the group's ability to attract funding, while the conglomerate lined up more road shows to shore up investor confidence. Adani Group will hold road shows this month in London, Dubai and several cities in the United States, according to a document seen by Reuters. Overall, Adani group firms' net debt totalled $24.1 billion as of September 2022. Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission jumped 5% each. Dollar bonds issued by Adani entities also rallied, with Adani Green Energy's 2024 bond adding 2.3 cents on the dollar to trade at 85.5 cents, while most bonds issued by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Transmission and Adani Electricity Mumbai rose by more than 1 cent.

☆ Australian pension fund client queries GQG about Adani investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 3 (Reuters) - An Australian pension fund client of GQG Partners has asked the U.S. boutique investment firm for more information about its nearly $1.9 billion investment in the embattled Indian Adani group. GQG Partners bought shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies, marking the first major investment in the Indian conglomerate since a short-seller's critical report sparked a stock rout. Cbus Super, with A$71 billion under management, has a A$243 million emerging markets mandate with GQG Partners. The $258 billion fund had no investments in Adani Group companies as of June 2022, according to a review of the most recent holdings disclosures. Shares of Australia-listed GQG Partners closed down 3% on Friday after news of the investment was made public.

☆ Adani contrarian is a win for Hindenburg, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

GQG Partners is snapping up shares in four of the Indian tycoon’s nine core companies, including the flagship Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), along with Adani Green Energy (ADNA.NS), Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS) and Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS). The mogul was trying to do just that last month with a $2.5 billion Adani Enterprise share sale before it was scuppered by Hindenburg’s sortie. Barring something truly exceptional, the scars of Hindenburg’s successful attack on Adani will linger for a while. GQG bought shares in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Green Energy, Adani Transmission and Adani Enterprises from entities owned by the Adani family. Adani has dismissed the allegations outlined in U.S. fund Hindenburg Research’s Jan. 24 report.

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