The island nation of Barbados is taking advantage of the market downturn.
Why it matters: As Barbados's debt price started to decline in the face of higher global interest rates, that gave the country the opportunity to buy it back at a discount, and to use the savings — some $50 million, over the next 15 years — to protect its precious oceans.
Very few companies would voluntarily try to go public in the current stock market. Yet two multi-billion-dollar household names, both of them profitable, are planning blockbuster IPOs right now.
Why it matters: The IPO market has flipped from favoring sellers to favoring buyers. In the case of Porsche and Instacart, that could be exactly what the companies' major shareholders are looking for.
Apple and Goldman Sachs have both made multi-billion-dollar bets on consumer finance — in one case, together. So far, the larger, less regulated tech company seems to be having more success than the systemically important bank.
Why it matters: Apple Pay was launched in 2014; Marcus, the consumer-facing bank from Goldman Sachs, in 2016. The companies' joint credit card, the Apple Card, came in 2019. But only now are we beginning to get a feel for how the two companies' strategies are faring.
Checks for comedy specials at Netflix are shrinking.
Why it matters: The streaming giant is in the midst of a transformation to make itself both leaner and more reliant on ad dollars when it eventually rolls out ad-supported options.
The streaming music industry is on the B-side of its maturity, Hope writes.
Driving the news: Apple, which “has prided itself on marketing its brand differently” than other mass consumer companies — including Budweiser and Coke — just signed a multiyear agreement to take Pepsi’s spot as sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime, according to NYT.
Yankee outfielder Aaron Judge has tied Babe Ruth at 60 home runs, and is one long ball away from tying Roger Maris' American League record of 61 in a single season.
Why it matters: While he’s chasing baseball history, fans Friday night must have Apple TV+ to see it — a situation which has not only caused a bit of drama in the New York market, but also illuminates the messy realities of watching sports through streaming.
The take your dog to work trend, which has been growing in popularity in the U.S., is being tested in Japan.
Why it matters:Remote work has grown dramatically around the world during the pandemic, but some companies have been looking for creative ways to bring employees back to the office.
Somewhere, Henry Ford is seriously confused about how this could happen.
Driving the news: Ford can't get enough of the blue oval badges that are affixed to the exterior of its vehicles, spokesman T.R. Reid confirmed to Axios.
The newly formed British government rolled out its fiscal plans Friday morning — and the reaction from global financial markets is beyond stunning.
Why it matters: Essentially, the markets are treating the U.K. the way they do emerging markets, which are viewed as not having the same reliable, disciplined institutions setting economic policy as the richest nations.
For decades, venture capital has been fairly consistent and conservative when it comes to valuing existing portfolios. Rely on the most recent funding round, either exclusively or as a primary input for the option pricing method.
State of play: Industry standards in 2022 are scattered to the winds.
To Centrifuge CEO and cofounder Lucas Vogelsang, decentralized finance (DeFi) is "the future of the financial system" here, in the now — filling a niche that traditional finance has largely found not worth its time.
Why it matters: Centrifuge provides liquidity from real-world assets (RWA), specifically for those with little access to this type of financing from traditional banks.
Bicycle Health, a Boston-based startup that offers virtual treatment for opioid addiction, raised $5 million in new venture capital funding.
Why it matters: Telehealth can reduce the stigma that precludes many people with addiction from seeking care, in addition to its lower costs and higher convenience.
Biden officials have considered trying to oust World Bank President David Malpass, who took office during the Trump administration, because they believe he's weak on climate, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: Administration officials are deeply concerned by Malpass' failure to answer this week when asked if climate change was caused by humans. His response provides ammunition to officials who want Biden to spend some political capital to attempt to remove him.
Even after several years of political and legal battles over how to revive its economy and fix its basic utilities, Puerto Rico continues to careen from crisis to crisis.
Why it matters: The territory and its 3 million residents are caught in a quagmire of financial and infrastructure challenges with a steep human cost — including including a 41% poverty rate last year.
Galaxy Digital's co-head of trading, Robert Bogucki, is leaving for BH Digital, the crypto unit of Brevan Howard, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Why it matters: The crypto industry has seen a bit of an executive shuffle amid the crypto winter. Recall Genesis CEO Michael Moro announced his exit last month and Kraken's Jesse Powell stepped down as CEO this week.
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