Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines.
This week, Natasha was joined by Mary Ann Azevedo and Rebecca Szkutak to talk about the latest and greatest in tech. Before we get into what we got up to, can we just say how great it is to be back? It feels therapeutic to be back on the mic to digest the news in terms of trends and startup happenings; and we hope you feel right about the same.
Without further ado, our show touched on a lot this week:
Deals of the week include Inflow, which has developed a self-help app designed to help people manage their ADHD, Cartograph Ventures, a new venture fund run by an ex-Juul operator, and the latest lawsuit and layoffs happening over at Carta.
The plethora of fintech M&A that took place this week, including Fidelity's acquisition of a startup called Shoobx (we couldn't pronounce its name either) and Deel's buyout of Capbase.
Microsoft's deal with ChatGPT OpenAI which, we'll admit, has a structure that stumps even us. Plus, we talk about how Pittsburgh's expertise in AI may help give its startup scene a boost.
There's Sam Altman, and then there's Sam Bankman-Fried, which brings us to our last theme. We talk about SBF's new Substack, the Kardashian method of distraction and why the legal world isn't a fan of levity. As Becca said so aptly, maybe billionaires (or former billionaires) should stop trying to be cute.
We'll end with a reminder that the TechCrunch podcast network is now a machine that produces content, daily, from the most diverse slate of hosts in the tech pod world. Proud of our fellow co-hosts, and for those of you who may be starting a resolution or habit-stacking to start 2023, consider giving our other shows a try.
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The volatility often associated with meme stocks has been on display this week. Shares of older meme stocks have joined in the rally, with GameStop Corp up 11% and AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc up around 24%. A 1,600% rise in shares of GameStop in early 2021 first put the spotlight on meme stocks and the retail investors that helped drive many of their rallies as they coordinated in forums such as Reddit’s WallStreetBets.
JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum told investors the bank is "absolutely open for business" in leveraged lending even as other U.S. banks are expected to book significant losses on risky loans underwritten last year. “Terms are better, pricing is better, we have the resources needed," Barnum said on a conference call with analysts. Barnum's comments come after many U.S. banks cut back on lending to lower-quality corporate borrowers last year, as Wall Street’s demand for leveraged loans plunged as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to tame inflation.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -The Federal Reserve said Friday that it handed back substantially less money to the Treasury last year than it did the year before, amid rising interest expenses tied to its work to lower inflation. The Fed noted that in September of last year it began recording what’s called a deferred asset that tallies up the loss, which stood at $18.8 billion at the end of the year. The Fed said it transferred $76 billion in weekly earnings to the Treasury.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday the United States will likely hit the $31.4 trillion statutory debt limit on Jan. 19, forcing the Treasury to launch extraordinary cash management measures that can likely prevent default until early June. "Once the limit is reached, Treasury will need to start taking certain extraordinary measures to prevent the United States from defaulting on its obligations," Yellen said in a letter to new Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders.
Canadian investors who worry about a recession in 2023 can prepare for it by owning two of TSX’s top defensive stocks. The post 2 Defensive Stocks to Buy Now if You’re Worried About Recession appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest on Saturday to tow away a fleet of luxury cars and other assets worth an estimated $3.9 million in the case investigating Andrew Tate, the divisive social media personality who is detained in the country on charges of human trafficking. Romania's National Agency for the Administration of Unavailable Assets said in a statement that it removed a total of 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in several cur
Investors looking for relative value in this difficult to understand market may want to take a hard look at Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX) right now. The post Why Barrick Gold Is the Perfect Cheap Stock for 2023 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
While the market is still trading below all-time highs, here are three Canadian stocks that long-term investors should have on their watch lists today. The post 3 Stocks That Could Create Lasting Generational Wealth appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
Canada's largest gas producer also says there are plans for special payments in each of the next three quarters.
Some U.S. investors are looking abroad to capture better stock returns in the coming months, betting European and other international stocks hold more enticing valuations after a long period of U.S. dominance. U.S. stocks have rebounded to start the year after a rough 2022, but still have lagged their international counterparts. Europe's STOXX 600 index has gained some 17% since the end of the third quarter, versus 11% for the U.S. benchmark S&P 500.
BERLIN (AP) — Germany on Saturday inaugurated its second liquefied natural gas terminal, part of a drive by Europe's biggest economy to put reliance on Russian energy sources firmly behind it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz took part in the ceremony in Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast, which came less than a month after he inaugurated Germany's first LNG terminal at Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea. Several more are expected to go online in the coming months, including another in Lubmin. The terminals are p
In the next Lotto Max draw, slated for Tuesday, January 17, the prize pool will amount to $66 million and include a $60 million jackpot and an estimated 6 Maxmillions.
Saudi Arabia's annual inflation rate ticked up to 3.3% in December from 2.9% in November, government data showed on Sunday, with price rises again driven mainly by housing costs. Prices rose 0.3% month on month in December, compared with a 0.1% monthly rise in November, Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics said. "The annual consumer price index for 2022 increased by 2.5% compared to 2021, mainly influenced by the rise in food and beverages prices by 3.7% and transport prices by 4.1%, due to their weight in the index," the General Authority for Statistics said in a separate report.
Canada Goose (TSX:GOOS) and another top rebound stock could end 2023 with a bang! The post 2 Canadian Stocks Ready for a Rebound appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
BCE and Telus could face stiffer competition if the Rogers-Shaw deal and Freedom Mobile sale go through, the analyst says.
PRAGUE (AP) — Retired army Gen. Petr Pavel narrowly defeated populist billionaire Andrej Babis in the first round of the Czech presidential election to set up a runoff vote between the political newcomer and the former prime minister. Pavel and Babis advanced to a second round of voting because none of the eight candidates seeking the country’s largely ceremonial presidency received a majority of votes in the initial round, which was held on Friday and Saturday. With the ballots from 99.9% of th
'There has been a loss of credibility'
Iranian oil exports hit new highs in the last two months of 2022 and are making a strong start to 2023 despite U.S. sanctions, according to companies that track the flows, on higher shipments to China and Venezuela. Tehran's oil exports have been limited since former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 exited a 2015 nuclear accord and reimposed sanctions aimed at curbing oil exports and the associated revenue to Iran's government. Exports have risen during the term of his successor President Joe Biden, who had sought to revive the nuclear deal, and hit the highest since 2019 on some estimates.
The world will need natural gas for a long time and more investment is required to ensure supply security and affordable prices during the global energy transition, the energy ministers of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday. Saad al-Kaabi, Qatari state minister for energy, told the Atlantic Council Global Energy Summit that a mild winter in Europe had seen prices come down, but that volatility would remain "for some time to come" given there was not much gas coming into the market until 2025. "The issue is what's going to happen when they (Europe) want to replenish their storages this coming year and the next year," he said.
If a recession hits, where should investors keep their money: in dividend stocks or bonds? The post Bonds or Dividend Stocks: Which Is Better for Fixed Income? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
Frank-ly, the Kardashian method won't work for SBF – Yahoo Canada Finance
