SaaSpocalypse. Credit defaults. The war in Iran. A lot of worries are hitting the $1.8 trillion private credit market at the same time, setting off a scramble by some investors to withdraw money from the industry’s giants. Bloomberg TV Anchor Dani Burger and Puck Founding Partner William D. Cohan join David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
SaaSpocalypse. Credit defaults. The war in Iran. A lot of worries are hitting the $1.8 trillion private credit market at the same time, setting off a scramble by some investors to withdraw money from the industry’s giants. Bloomberg TV Anchor Dani Burger and Puck Founding Partner William D. Cohan join David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
Hong Kong’s competition watchdog is closely monitoring a potential megadeal between the city’s two largest supermarket chains amid a continued decline in grocery sales since 2020. The Competition Commission told the South China Morning Post on Friday that it was aware of media reports about the potential merger. “The commission is aware of the relevant media reports and is paying close attention t...
Hong Kong’s competition watchdog is closely monitoring a potential megadeal between the city’s two largest supermarket chains amid a continued decline in grocery sales since 2020. The Competition Commission told the South China Morning Post on Friday that it was aware of media reports about the potential merger. “The commission is aware of the relevant media reports and is paying close attention to the matter and any future developments,” it said. Conglomerates Jardine Matheson and CK Hutchison,...
Most automakers across the globe have a conundrum on their hands. On one hand, the future roads are almost certainly filled with electric vehicles (EVs), and developing the technology, branding, and growing sales is critical. On the other hand, most automakers lose billions annually on their current EV lineup, and entering the market too early caused a massive pivot and huge charges, such as Ford ...
Most automakers across the globe have a conundrum on their hands. On one hand, the future roads are almost certainly filled with electric vehicles (EVs), and developing the technology, branding, and growing sales is critical. On the other hand, most automakers lose billions annually on their current EV lineup, and entering the market too early caused a massive pivot and huge charges, such as Ford Motor Company 's (NYSE: F) near $20 billion charge toward the end of 2025. In 2026, foreign rival Toyota (NYSE: TM) sold more EVs than Ford in the first quarter with only one vehicle model. Here's why it's a big deal. The EV industry's training wheels are officially off, and investors now have a better understanding of how important government incentives, such as the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, are. The U.S. EV industry is now forced to support sales and drive demand by focusing on more affordable products, better pricing and branding strategies, and infrastructure development. Continue reading
georgeclerk/E+ via Getty Images Wall Street's major averages posted big weekly gains, surging to new highs for three consecutive trading days, as positive developments in the Middle East—including a temporary ceasefire deal between the involved countries—raised investors' enthusiasm. The week saw investors shrug off fears of a potential bubble in the artificial intelligence industry. Around $242B,...
georgeclerk/E+ via Getty Images Wall Street's major averages posted big weekly gains, surging to new highs for three consecutive trading days, as positive developments in the Middle East—including a temporary ceasefire deal between the involved countries—raised investors' enthusiasm. The week saw investors shrug off fears of a potential bubble in the artificial intelligence industry. Around $242B, or 80% of the total global venture funding in Q1, went to AI companies, Crunchbase data showed. The financial sector has had a bad start to 2026, negatively impacted by a crisis in the private credit sector and AI risk concerns , which hit the wealth and asset management space, insurance brokerage industry, and small banks, among others. The stocks of card payment networks were also lagging on the back of concerns that stablecoin-based technology will obviate the need for traditional card networks. However, a strong start to the first-quarter earnings season helped the financials sector post strong weekly gains. Major U.S. banks are on track to post more than $40B in trading revenue for the first quarter, as heightened geopolitical tensions helped drive sharp movements across financial markets. State Street Financial Sel Sec SPDR ETF ( XLF ) added 3.27% during the course of the week. Among the megacap stocks, Morgan Stanley ( MS ) and Citigroup ( C ), having reported a Q1 beat, led the weekly gainers. MS added 6.29% to $188.82, while C advanced 6.26% to $132.18. Trading desks of Wall Street banks notched new milestones with their first-quarter results, capitalizing on market volatility fueled by the Iran war. JPMorgan ( JPM ), Citi ( C ) and Wells Fargo ( WFC ) together reported over $25B of profits for the first quarter, as their traders benefited from sharp market moves driven by geopolitical shocks in Venezuela and Iran. American Express ( AXP ) was next on the list, advancing 5.80% from the prior week to close at $331.69. This week, American Express announced an enhanc...
Grammy-winning songwriter says she was deceived into pregnancy, and that cases like hers fall between the cracks When the Grammy award winning songwriter, Olivia Nervo, agreed to start a family with her partner she believed she was in “a monogamous, committed relationship leading to a future”, and had never heard of reproductive coercion. Her world came crashing down when she was six months pregna...
Grammy-winning songwriter says she was deceived into pregnancy, and that cases like hers fall between the cracks When the Grammy award winning songwriter, Olivia Nervo, agreed to start a family with her partner she believed she was in “a monogamous, committed relationship leading to a future”, and had never heard of reproductive coercion. Her world came crashing down when she was six months pregnant and she found out that her partner was in a relationship with another woman who was also pregnant, and with whom he already had a child. Continue reading...
Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO’s home comes amid growing discontent against artificial intelligence In the early hours of 10 April, a man approached the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ’s house in San Francisco and hurled a molotov cocktail at the building before fleeing. The suspect, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was arrested less than two hours later while allegedly attempting to break in...
Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO’s home comes amid growing discontent against artificial intelligence In the early hours of 10 April, a man approached the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ’s house in San Francisco and hurled a molotov cocktail at the building before fleeing. The suspect, 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was arrested less than two hours later while allegedly attempting to break into the headquarters of OpenAI with a jug of kerosene, a lighter and an anti-AI manifesto. Federal and California state authorities have charged Moreno-Gama with a range of crimes including attempted arson and attempted murder. His parents issued a statement this week saying that their son had recently suffered a mental health crisis. Moreno-Gama, who has not yet entered a plea, faces up to life in prison if convicted. Continue reading...
The pub crawl’s organizer is accused of pocketing donations but residents and businesses have long had misgivings On what started as an otherwise uneventful spring day in New York City, thousands of residents last week received what they felt was an early Christmas present. Stefan Pildes, organizer of SantaCon in New York City, was arrested on Wednesday morning for allegedly using hundreds of thou...
The pub crawl’s organizer is accused of pocketing donations but residents and businesses have long had misgivings On what started as an otherwise uneventful spring day in New York City, thousands of residents last week received what they felt was an early Christmas present. Stefan Pildes, organizer of SantaCon in New York City, was arrested on Wednesday morning for allegedly using hundreds of thousands from event-based charitable donations on his personal expenses, such as luxe vacations and “extravagant meals”, Manhattan federal prosecutors said. Continue reading...
The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz only hours after its reopening is a tactic by Iran to gain leverage over the United States before possible negotiations, according to Chinese analysts. With the clock counting down to the end of a two-week ceasefire with the US on Wednesday, a deal with Washington was still possible and the likelihood of Tehran imposing a toll on the waterway was low, they adde...
The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz only hours after its reopening is a tactic by Iran to gain leverage over the United States before possible negotiations, according to Chinese analysts. With the clock counting down to the end of a two-week ceasefire with the US on Wednesday, a deal with Washington was still possible and the likelihood of Tehran imposing a toll on the waterway was low, they added. The assessment came as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that...
European Central Bank officials are leaving Washington ever so slightly more optimistic than when they arrived, as ongoing US-Iran peace talks raise the prospect of energy shipments resuming from the Gulf. At the start of a busy week of meetings at the International Monetary Fund, President Christine Lagarde said that the euro zone had moved closer to an adverse scenario with inflation climbing ab...
European Central Bank officials are leaving Washington ever so slightly more optimistic than when they arrived, as ongoing US-Iran peace talks raise the prospect of energy shipments resuming from the Gulf. At the start of a busy week of meetings at the International Monetary Fund, President Christine Lagarde said that the euro zone had moved closer to an adverse scenario with inflation climbing above 4%. Now negotiations between the two countries may be advancing. On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that Iran had agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely and reopened the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices dropped back to levels last seen in the early days of war. While policymakers weren’t willing to draw immediate conclusions, stressing that their next interest-rate decision is still two weeks away, those speaking later in the week raised doubts that the 27-strong Governing Council would be ready to move by then. But uncertainty about whether a fragile ceasefire can turn into lasting peace — and about the damage to inflation and growth already inflicted on the euro zone — is keeping the idea of a rate hike alive. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel insisted that no outcome should be excluded in April, while most of his colleagues put the focus on June. Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel and Estonia’s Madis Muller were among those cautioning against rushing a decision, arguing that analyzing quickly changing realities takes time. Their Irish and Slovenian colleagues — Gabriel Makhlouf and Primoz Dolenc — suggested rate increases may not be needed at all if an end of the war restores energy flows from the region in due course. What follows is a roundup of exclusive Bloomberg interviews and comments made this week: Christine Lagarde , president “We are in between the baseline and the adverse” scenarios for the Iran war. “We have to be completely agile and ready to move in the direction that is required. We have to be data dependent, as we have repeatedly...
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing continues to fire on all cylinders, with the company beating expectations across the board in its latest earnings report.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing continues to fire on all cylinders, with the company beating expectations across the board in its latest earnings report.
The top US derivatives regulator is investigating a series of suspiciously well-timed trades in the oil futures market ahead of recent policy pivots by President Donald Trump related to the war in Iran, according to people familiar with the matter. Commodity Futures Trading Commission former chairman Gary Gensler joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source:...
The top US derivatives regulator is investigating a series of suspiciously well-timed trades in the oil futures market ahead of recent policy pivots by President Donald Trump related to the war in Iran, according to people familiar with the matter. Commodity Futures Trading Commission former chairman Gary Gensler joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to expedite access to research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs in a bid to ease restrictions on substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine, LSD, and MDMA. The order will “dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs,” Trump said in the Oval Office event attended by top governmen...
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order to expedite access to research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs in a bid to ease restrictions on substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine, LSD, and MDMA. The order will “dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs,” Trump said in the Oval Office event attended by top government officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression—including our cherished veterans,” Trump added. Shares of companies focused on developing psychedelic drugs rose on Thursday after CBS News reported that Trump plans to sign an executive order that would expand research into ibogaine, a psychedelic plant medicine native to Africa. Notable companies focused on psychedelic drugs: Atai Life Sciences ( ATAI ), COMPASS Pathways ( CMPS ), GH Research ( GHRS ), Definium Therapeutics ( DFTX ), and Cybin ( HELP ). More on AtaiBeckley, Mind Medicine, etc. Definium: 'Strong Buy' Maintained On Several Anticipated 2026 Milestones AtaiBeckley: 'Buy' On New Key Developments For BPL-003 For TRD AtaiBeckley: BPL-003 Phase 3 Momentum Keeps Me Bullish Shroom stocks rise as Trump is said to sign executive order on psychedelic drug COMPASS Pathways ADS GAAP EPS of -$1.00 misses by $0.59
"Looking For Lifeline": Spirit Airlines Asks Trump Admin For Emergency Bailout Bankrupt Spirit Airlines appears to be flying on fumes, with a late Friday report indicating the budget carrier has become so desperate for cash that it has approached the Trump administration for an emergency bailout, even as creditors mull pulling the plug at any moment. Aviation news website The Air Current reports t...
"Looking For Lifeline": Spirit Airlines Asks Trump Admin For Emergency Bailout Bankrupt Spirit Airlines appears to be flying on fumes, with a late Friday report indicating the budget carrier has become so desperate for cash that it has approached the Trump administration for an emergency bailout, even as creditors mull pulling the plug at any moment. Aviation news website The Air Current reports that Spirit has asked the Trump administration for "hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funding" to offset the surge in jet fuel costs that have pushed the carrier even closer to "possible liquidation." The report was based on multiple accounts from individuals familiar with the situation. In a separate report, CBS News also confirmed through its sources that "Spirit is looking for a lifeline" and that creditors are questioning whether the airline can meet future multimillion-dollar debt payments due to surging jet fuel costs. The airline had been aiming to exit its second bankruptcy since 2024 by this summer, but the U.S.-Iran conflict spiked jet fuel prices so quickly that it appears the airline had limited hedging in place to offset the surge. Side note : The best-hedged airline amid the jet fuel turmoil has been Delta Air Lines, the only U.S. carrier to operate a refinery. Spirit executives and other budget carriers are expected to meet with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy next week. "Spirit is flying on financial fumes," airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt told CBS News on Wednesday. CNBC and Bloomberg warned earlier this week that Spirit's " risk of liquidation " was elevated. Harteveldt warned that Spirit's operations could cease if enough creditors decide to pull the plug. By late week, jet fuel prices had fallen, and airline stocks soared on news that Iran had reopened the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint. Meanwhile, UBS analysts called for a possible bottom in airline stocks ( read the report ) in mid-March. For years, Spirit was a profit machine, but...
The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) both provide access to large-cap U.S. stocks, but MGK features a much heavier technology tilt, higher recent returns, and a notably lower yield compared to SPY. Both SPY and MGK aim to capture the performance of leading U.S. equities, but their approaches differ. SPY tracks the broad S&P 500 Index,...
The State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:SPY) and Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) both provide access to large-cap U.S. stocks, but MGK features a much heavier technology tilt, higher recent returns, and a notably lower yield compared to SPY. Both SPY and MGK aim to capture the performance of leading U.S. equities, but their approaches differ. SPY tracks the broad S&P 500 Index, offering wide sector exposure, while MGK targets the largest growth-oriented names, resulting in a more concentrated and tech-heavy portfolio. This comparison highlights how those differences play out in cost, performance, risk, and portfolio makeup. Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Continue reading
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite research and access to psychedelics used outside the US to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. “Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life,” Trump said in an Oval Office ceremony Saturday. The order directs the US Food and Drug Ad...
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite research and access to psychedelics used outside the US to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. “Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life,” Trump said in an Oval Office ceremony Saturday. The order directs the US Food and Drug Administration to issue new guidance to researchers on ibogaine, a compound extracted from the iboga plant in Africa that is used to treat depression, anxiety and PTSD for military veterans. The hallucinogen is considered a Schedule I controlled substance and is prohibited for use in the US. While the order doesn’t reclassify the drug for medical use, Trump urged the health professionals arrayed behind him at the event to reclassify it quickly. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patient,” Trump said. Trump’s directive calls for a $50 million federal research investment into ibogaine, and opens an opportunity for terminally ill, or “desperately” ill, patients to try the drug under the Right to Try law passed during his first term. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a vocal proponent of psychedelic therapy and has encouraged the administration to consider mind-altering substances to treat depression, mental health conditions and other hard-to-treat disorders. “This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,” he told Congress last year. Under the Biden administration, the FDA rejected the use of MDMAs, the class of drugs that includes psychedelics, to treat PTSD, citing the quality of research and questions over the clinical trials. The Trump administration has signaled support of bringing psychedelics into mainstream healthcare. Psychedelic therapy has gained moment...
International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend as Iran reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel attacked targets in Lebanon, undermining expectations of an imminent peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump Saturday morning. (Source: Bloomberg)
International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend as Iran reimposed restrictions on vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Israel attacked targets in Lebanon, undermining expectations of an imminent peace deal touted by US President Donald Trump Saturday morning. (Source: Bloomberg)