Now that the SPAC boom and its mid-February crest are behind us, what should we make of the current pause? How do we make sense of the slowdown? What forces will shape what happens next? … READ MORE >
Financial services
5 key themes from SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s House testimony
With Gary Gensler sworn in as the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission in April, the direction of the agency under his leadership is now beginning to take shape. This was especially clear during a House Financial Services Committee hearing Thursday on the unprecedented surge in social media induced meme stock trading this year. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: The CLO market is back
The volume of CLO issuances over the past two quarters has rebounded to levels last seen in 2019, and spreads have narrowed to pre-pandemic levels as pricing benefited from low interest rates, even with the recent surges in Treasury yields. … READ MORE >
Federal Reserve to end supplemental leverage ratio capital break
The Federal Reserve announced on Friday that it would not extend an important rule accommodation put in place last spring that helped banks continue to lend to small and medium-size businesses as the economic effects of the pandemic took hold. … READ MORE >
Short-term rates and economic expansion at risk without Fed’s SLR extension
With the economic recovery still in its early stages, an important component of the Federal Reserve’s response to the economic collapse last spring is in danger of expiring. … READ MORE >
With embedded finance, Walmart takes aim at consumer financial services
In January, Walmart announced its fintech startup with Ribbit Capital, a fintech-focused venture capital firm. Through this partnership, Walmart plans to build affordable digital financial products for its more than 230 million customers who visit its 10,800 locations. … READ MORE >
Low interest rates offer private equity firms a rare opportunity to invest
As the Federal Reserve continues to keep interest rates at historically low levels, private equity firms in the middle market have an opportunity to take advantage of those low rates and make capital investments that will pay off in the future. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: ESG comes to financial services
As environmental, social and governance practices have gained broader acceptance, financial services companies have started to fall under scrutiny when it comes to ESG. … READ MORE >
Private equity and venture capital stay resilient in the EU and UK
After a year of upheaval, private equity and venture capital dealmaking ended last year on a strong note in the European Union and the U.K., and that momentum is poised to continue. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: How stablecoins are helping lay the groundwork for digital currencies
As stablecoins gain a toehold in the marketplace, they are helping pave the way for traditional currencies, like the U.S. dollar, to become digital assets. … READ MORE >