Earnings Call Insights: Zevra Therapeutics (ZVRA) Q4 2025 Management View Neil McFarlane, President and CEO, announced the appointment of Justin Renz as the new Chief Financial Officer, highlighting his "more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical financial leadership experience with a strong track record supporting global commercial operations, along with extensive experience in capital markets and I...
Earnings Call Insights: Zevra Therapeutics (ZVRA) Q4 2025 Management View Neil McFarlane, President and CEO, announced the appointment of Justin Renz as the new Chief Financial Officer, highlighting his "more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical financial leadership experience with a strong track record supporting global commercial operations, along with extensive experience in capital markets and Investor Relations." McFarlane reported full year net revenue of $106.5 million, driven by MIPLYFFA's $87.4 million in revenue, and fourth quarter revenue of $34.1 million, including $26.4 million from MIPLYFFA sales. He emphasized, "This momentum sets the stage for multiple growth drivers in 2026." Commercial performance for MIPLYFFA included 24 prescription enrollment forms in Q4 and 52 for the year, totaling 161 enrollments since launch. The CEO stated, "This growth is being driven by previously diagnosed patients and increasingly by newly diagnosed patients." McFarlane discussed U.S. exclusivity for MIPLYFFA through 2031 and efforts to extend patent protection. He also mentioned expansion through the global EAP with 113 patients enrolled by year-end and a new distribution agreement to broaden access outside Europe. The company submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency in July 2025 and is prepared to respond to regulatory questions within the 90-day clock stop period. In pipeline progress, Celiprolol for VEDS enrolled 8 patients in Q4, bringing the total to 52 out of a planned 150 in the Phase III DISCOVER study. McFarlane noted engagement with the FDA for regulatory acceleration and ongoing strategies to boost enrollment. Zevra relocated its headquarters to Boston to "strengthen our foundation for long-term growth and position us at the center of one of the world's most dynamic biotech ecosystems." Justin Renz, CFO, stated, "In a short time, I've already seen the depth of experience and the genuine dedication to bringing meaningful ...
Oracle Corp. (ORCL) is set to release its fiscal third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, March 10, after the market close. Three months ago, the 49-year-old cloud and database software company was hit hard after it reported fiscal Q2 revenue that fell short of analyst expectations and offered little ...
Oracle Corp. (ORCL) is set to release its fiscal third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, March 10, after the market close. Three months ago, the 49-year-old cloud and database software company was hit hard after it reported fiscal Q2 revenue that fell short of analyst expectations and offered little ...
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) attends a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Financial Stability Oversight Council's annual report to Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 5, 2026. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh will meet this week with the Republican senator who has been blocking his nomination in objectio...
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) attends a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Financial Stability Oversight Council's annual report to Congress, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 5, 2026. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh will meet this week with the Republican senator who has been blocking his nomination in objection to President Donald Trump 's attacks on the central bank. Warsh will meet with Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, the senator's office said Monday. Warsh will also meet with Sen. Kevin Cramer, R.-N.D., the senator told CNBC. The Senate Banking Committee, where both Cramer and Tillis are members, oversees nominees to the Fed. Other meetings with members of the committee are expected this week. Read more CNBC politics coverage Trump vows executive order to 'fix' college sports NIL payments 'mess' Trump says defense CEOs agree to quadruple production of 'Exquisite Class' weaponry Trump tariffs: Customs and Border Protection tells judge it can't comply with refund order Analysis: Tough jobs report puts Trump's Iran war plans to the test Tillis has praised Warsh's acumen as a potential Fed chair but has said he won't vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the Department of Justice drops a criminal investigation into Chair Jerome Powell . Powell has called the probe a pretext to punish him for declining to cut rates on Trump's insistence. Tillis is set to retire next year when his term expires. Warsh didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Powell's term as chair ends May 15, though he can continue to serve in the board seat on the Fed he also occupies until January 2028. Powell has led the Fed through a round of rate cuts that have left its benchmark overnight interest rate at 3.5-3.75%. Trump wants it down to 1% or lower. Oil disruptions stemming from the Iran war have prompted some Fed officials to question whether the central bank can continue cutting this year...
georgeclerk/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Shares of BlackRock, Inc. ( BLK ) have been a prominent loser in a tough week given the turmoil in the Middle East as well as following turmoil in the private credit markets. In fact, the latest news is that the firm is the latest financial institution to limit withdrawals from one of its private credit funds after more peers were forced to take simil...
georgeclerk/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Shares of BlackRock, Inc. ( BLK ) have been a prominent loser in a tough week given the turmoil in the Middle East as well as following turmoil in the private credit markets. In fact, the latest news is that the firm is the latest financial institution to limit withdrawals from one of its private credit funds after more peers were forced to take similar measures recently. This weighs on the firm, even though it's just a small part of the business, with reputational risk and market risks in other areas of the business being a more prevalent concern. Current dips look enticing, but given that valuations are largely in line with the market and valuations in the past, I'm cautious to buy the dip just yet. Private Credit Concerns BlackRock has curbed withdrawals from its $26 billion HPS Corporate Lending Fund, a private credit fund, which faced a 9.3% redemption request, far above the 5% cap imposed by management. This actually followed similar news events at similar funds manage d by Blackstone ( BX ) and Blue Owl Capital ( OWL ). That's the pain of private credit funds, offering less liquidity, with investments not readily tradeable. With more investors withdrawing capital, the sponsors are keen to point out that these are liquidity mismatches, but some investors are fearful about the issue of credit quality. This relates to refinancing loans being originated in a low-interest rate environment, concerns about involvement in the AI funding market, and concerns about debt employed by technology firms. Moreover, there are concerns about lax underwriting standards. On the latter part, BlackRock is not immune to this, after the firm recently wrote down a loan that was valued at 100 cents on the dollar just before. This loan was written down to zero in just a three-month period of time. While the $25 million hit incurred by BlackRock's TCP Capital company was not that substantial, the speed and magnitude of the write-down were c...
Key Points Required minimum distributions are mandated for certain kinds of retirement plans. There are some changes to RMD rules in 2026 that you should know about. These changes relate to when you have to claim RMDs, and more. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Certain kinds of tax-advantaged retirement accounts allow you to invest with pre-tax dollars and bene...
Key Points Required minimum distributions are mandated for certain kinds of retirement plans. There are some changes to RMD rules in 2026 that you should know about. These changes relate to when you have to claim RMDs, and more. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Certain kinds of tax-advantaged retirement accounts allow you to invest with pre-tax dollars and benefit from tax-deferred growth. The government eventually wants to get its cut, though. So, there are required minimum distribution (RMD) rules that require you to eventually begin making withdrawals from these accounts. When you do, you are usually taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. You need to follow RMD rules because the penalties can be harsh if you don't. These rules have also changed over time. In fact, here are three big rule changes you need to know about for 2026. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » 1. You get to wait longer before taking RMDs Under the traditional rules, RMDs started at 70 1/2. But then two pieces of legislation were passed: The SECURE 1.0 Act in 2019 and the SECURE 2.0 Act in 2022. SECURE 1.0 raised the starting age to 72, and SECURE 2.0 raised it even further. These changes only applied to people born after a certain time, though, so RMD requirements are now based on the account holder's birth year. Specifically, RMD requirements are now based on the birth year of the account holder. The table below shows when you should begin your required minimum distributions, based on when you were born. As you can see, anyone turning 66 in 2026 or beyond will get to wait longer to take their required minimum distributions. If Your Birth Date Was: This Is When RMDs Start Before July 1, 1949 70 1/2 Between July 1, 1949, to Dec. 31, 1950 72 Between Jan. 1, 1951, to Dec. 31, 19...
Canada will allow TikTok to continue operating in the country, a complete reversal after the government had previously ordered the social media company to close its Canadian division for security reasons. In November 2024, under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada ordered ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to wind down its Canadian subsidiary. That would not have banned the app’s use but ...
Canada will allow TikTok to continue operating in the country, a complete reversal after the government had previously ordered the social media company to close its Canadian division for security reasons. In November 2024, under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada ordered ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to wind down its Canadian subsidiary. That would not have banned the app’s use but would have forced its offices in Toronto and Vancouver to close. Advertisement But in January, that order was set aside following a legal motion from the government – just days after Mark Carney became the first Canadian prime minister in more than eight years to visit China, where he announced a deal with President Xi Jinping to relax tariffs. TikTok Technology Canada will now be allowed to operate under new legally binding commitments to enhance its security, Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement on Monday, saying the decision followed a fresh security review. WATCH: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Canadian PM Mark Carney WATCH: Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Canadian PM Mark Carney TikTok will add “security gateways and privacy-enhancing technologies to control access to Canadian user data in order to reduce the risk of unauthorised or prohibited access”, Joly said. Her statement provided no details on how that would work.
Venezuela’s National Assembly gave preliminary approval to a new mining bill as the government pledges to move at “Trump speed” to revive the sector and attract foreign investment. A majority of lawmakers voted Monday in favor of the proposal, which would replace a nearly three-decade-old framework governing mining investment. A small group of moderate opposition lawmakers abstained from voting si...
Venezuela’s National Assembly gave preliminary approval to a new mining bill as the government pledges to move at “Trump speed” to revive the sector and attract foreign investment. A majority of lawmakers voted Monday in favor of the proposal, which would replace a nearly three-decade-old framework governing mining investment. A small group of moderate opposition lawmakers abstained from voting since they said they had only received the drafted legislation minutes before the session. The legislation requires a second vote before it becomes law. The law aims at increasing legal guarantees in order to attract national and international investment, said lawmaker Orlando Camacho while reading the introductory note during the session. It also allows for independent mediation and arbitration for dispute resolution after exhausting national legal avenues, Camacho said. The push follows US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ’s visit to Caracas and signals an effort to replicate recent changes in the oil industry, where authorities have opened space for US companies and struck an initial gold deal after the January capture of former President Nicolás Maduro . Officials say the mining overhaul is aimed at drawing capital into projects spanning gold, bauxite and other strategic minerals. Demand for critical minerals is projected to quadruple by 2040 as electric vehicle sales and clean energy deployment accelerate, according to the International Energy Agency. A recent report by Amazon Underworld , a cross-border investigative alliance, found that Colombian guerrilla groups and Venezuelan state-linked actors have been involved in illegal mineral extraction in parts of the Amazon, underscoring the security and governance challenges facing efforts to formalize the sector. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez reiterated her interest in a “win-win” formula for the mining sector during Burgum’s March 4 visit.
The Republican Senate Agriculture Committee chair called for new federal aid to farmers in the wake of a spike in gasoline , diesel and fertilizer prices driven by the US military offensive against Iran. “I think very definitely that they’re going to need additional help,” Senator John Boozman said in an interview at the Capitol Monday evening. “If you’re growing something in the ground right now,...
The Republican Senate Agriculture Committee chair called for new federal aid to farmers in the wake of a spike in gasoline , diesel and fertilizer prices driven by the US military offensive against Iran. “I think very definitely that they’re going to need additional help,” Senator John Boozman said in an interview at the Capitol Monday evening. “If you’re growing something in the ground right now, you’re losing money.” Boozman said he was already seeing a need for Congress to pass a farm aid package before the war, noting winter storm damage as well as disaster relief needs in states like California and North Carolina. The Trump administration is weighing a range of options to combat surging oil and gasoline prices, according to people familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to have the US Navy escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to protect them against Iranian attack, which could ease passage for oil tankers. Trump also said he planned to waive oil-related sanctions without giving specifics, though he acknowledged the issue came up in a call earlier in the day with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin . Read more: Trump Says War Will Resolve ‘Very Soon,’ Lifting Oil Sanctions Russia has faced sanctions on its oil revenue in an international bid to deprive the country of revenue over its war in Ukraine. The administration has already eased some sanctions on Russia by allowing Russian-produced crude already loaded on to ships to be offloaded at ports in India and sold to Indian buyers over the next month.
Mark Zuckerberg once shared a pivotal piece of advice he received from legendary Apple Inc. co-founder and one of his mentors, Steve Jobs, which led him to travel to India. Steve Jobs' Advice During Uncertain Times In 2015, Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Zuckerberg shared a little-known story about the early days of Facebook, when acquisition offers were on the table and pressure to sell was high. He sa...
Mark Zuckerberg once shared a pivotal piece of advice he received from legendary Apple Inc. co-founder and one of his mentors, Steve Jobs, which led him to travel to India. Steve Jobs' Advice During Uncertain Times In 2015, Meta Platforms, Inc. CEO Zuckerberg shared a little-known story about the early days of Facebook, when acquisition offers were on the table and pressure to sell was high. He said mentors and investors debated whether the company should be sold. During that period, he met Jobs, who encouraged him to reconnect with his vision by visiting a temple in India that the Apple co-founder had visited years earlier during his own period of reflection. Zuckerberg said Jobs believed the experience could help clarify purpose and long-term thinking. Don't Miss: A Month Of Reflection In India The Meta CEO said he traveled to India and spent nearly a month there. He said observing how people connected and communicated reinforced his belief in Facebook's mission to help build stronger global connections. The trip, he said, reminded him why he started the company and strengthened his resolve to keep it independent. Trending: Own the Characters, Not Just the Content: Inside a Fast-Growing Pre-IPO IP Company Turning Down Buyout Offers In 2006, reports indicated that after Zuckerberg rejected Viacom's $750 million bid for Facebook, Yahoo followed with a $900 million offer. The acquisition ultimately fell apart, and the company—now known as Meta —has since grown to a market capitalization of about $1.67 trillion. Zuckerberg later acknowledged he did not approach the decision with advanced financial calculations. Instead, he focused on mission and long-term impact. "I think if I sold this company, I'd just go build another company like this and I kind of like the one I have," he said in a later interview, explaining why staying the course made sense to him. In its latest quarter, Meta reported revenue of $59.89 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $58.30 billion....
Mainland Chinese investors can now buy shares in more than a dozen newly added Hong Kong-listed biotech and pharmaceutical companies after a reshuffle of the Stock Connect southbound trading list took effect on Monday, reflecting the sector’s growing role on the international stage. Foreign capital, however, remained cautious, analysts said. “Mainland buyers have been the main force behind the lat...
Mainland Chinese investors can now buy shares in more than a dozen newly added Hong Kong-listed biotech and pharmaceutical companies after a reshuffle of the Stock Connect southbound trading list took effect on Monday, reflecting the sector’s growing role on the international stage. Foreign capital, however, remained cautious, analysts said. “Mainland buyers have been the main force behind the latest healthcare rally. They tend to chase smaller-cap names where a tight free float makes it easier to push prices higher,” said Jonah Chen, head of healthcare research at China Merchants Securities (Hong Kong). “They are also getting excited by a surge in big-ticket out-licensing deals.” Advertisement Overseas funds were still wary of China’s biotech sector , said Chen, who has a PhD in pathology. “They tend to cherry-pick a few big-cap pharmaceutical companies with strong pipelines and truly innovative drug target design, rather than buying the sector broadly.” His comments came as at least 13 healthcare companies – including AI-driven drug discovery firm Insilico Medicine, innovative drug maker Xuanzhu Biopharmaceutical, and CARsGen Therapeutics, developer of cutting-edge cancer treatment CAR-T cell therapy – were among 42 stocks added to the southbound list, according to an exchange filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Advertisement The southbound leg of Stock Connect allows mainland Chinese investors to buy and sell shares listed in Hong Kong through the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges.
Asia-based private credit funds are emerging as a possible hedge against turmoil gripping the $1.8 trillion industry, as investors seek safer alternatives in the asset class. Concern about US private credit exposures to the software sector that’s under pressure from rapid advances in AI, has fueled redemptions at funds run by firms including BlackRock Inc. , Blackstone Inc. and Blue Owl Capital In...
Asia-based private credit funds are emerging as a possible hedge against turmoil gripping the $1.8 trillion industry, as investors seek safer alternatives in the asset class. Concern about US private credit exposures to the software sector that’s under pressure from rapid advances in AI, has fueled redemptions at funds run by firms including BlackRock Inc. , Blackstone Inc. and Blue Owl Capital Inc. By contrast, Asia Pacific vehicles — with more conservative lending practices and comprised mostly of closed-ended funds — are better insulated from liquidity risks that have plagued the US and Europe, according to several private credit executives who spoke to Bloomberg News. Against this backdrop, at least two private firms are pitching Asia‑focused funds as alternatives. In some cases, investors — so-called limited partners — are approaching managers pro-actively, according to people familiar with the matter. “We have a few LPs we hadn’t had high engagement from for some time who came to us recently saying they wanted to explore Asian opportunities given what happened in the US private credit market,” said Siddhartha Hari , partner and co-head of Elham Credit Partners . Fears have been bubbling up in the private credit market in recent weeks, with investors spooked by the impact of artificial intelligence on some borrowers and mounting valuation worries. On Friday, BlackRock capped withdrawals from its $26 billion HPS Corporate Lending Fund at 5% after investors sought to withdraw nearly double that amount. That followed a record 7.9% redemption from one of Blackstone’s flagship credit funds last week, and Blue Owl’s decision to halt quarterly withdrawals in February. READ MORE: Private Credit Gate-Crashers Are Forcing Funds Into Brutal Spot Broader credit markets have also been shaken by loan blowups in developed economies. Last month’s collapse of UK non-bank finance firm Market Financial Solutions Ltd. left banks nursing potential losses amid allegations of financi...