Group 1: Weather Impact on Retail - A winter storm is expected to affect a significant portion of the U.S., potentially impacting consumer behavior and retail sales [2][3] - Costco (COST) is anticipated to benefit from increased sales as consumers engage in pantry loading in preparation for the storm, similar to past events [4] - Anecdotal evidence shows crowded Costco stores in states like Texas and Georgia, with shares of Costco up 13% year-to-date [5] Group 2: Restaurant Sector Challenges - Dine-in restaurants and discretionary retail are likely to face revenue headwinds due to consumers sheltering indoors during the storm [5] - Several restaurant companies, including Dunkin' and McDonald's, have previously noted that severe winter weather negatively impacts customer traffic [6] Group 3: Capital One Acquisition - Capital One (COF) has agreed to acquire fintech company Brex for $5.15 billion, with the deal structured as 50% cash and 50% stock [7][8] - This acquisition aims to enhance Capital One's capabilities in serving corporate clients, particularly in corporate card issuance and expense management [8] Group 4: Intel Earnings Report - Intel (INTC) reported stronger-than-expected Q4 earnings but provided a Q1 revenue outlook below analyst expectations, leading to a 12% drop in premarket shares [9][10] - The company expects Q1 revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, with adjusted earnings per share anticipated to break even, below the expected $0.08 [10]

作者：马丁・皮尔斯 这简直可以说是一场无声无息的落幕。美国第一资本投资国际集团于周四宣布，将以 51.5 亿美元收购 企业信用卡初创公司布雷克斯，这为布雷克斯作为独立公司的历程画上了并不亮眼的句号。记性好的人 应该还记得，这家创立九年的公司曾野心勃勃，扬言要颠覆美国运通 —— 我们在 2021 年的一篇深度报 道中就提到，布雷克斯甚至在其一间办公室将无线网络密码设为 "买下运通"。也是在那篇报道里，我 们指出布雷克斯及其主要竞争对手兰普的创始人都认为，"美国运通、第一资本这类老牌金融机构忽视 了部分企业客户的需求"。不过，我们敢打赌，布雷克斯的管理层在与第一资本谈判时，绝不会把这话 当作谈判说辞。 布雷克斯联合创始人兼首席执行官佩德罗・弗朗切斯基曾向《金融时报》透露，截至去年 9 月，公司距 离实现盈利还差一到两个季度。（反观第一资本，该公司周四公布的第四季度净利润高达 21 亿美 元。）过去几年，布雷克斯的日子并不好过。2022 年风险投资遇冷，导致其初创企业客户的开支缩 减，公司不得不采取成本削减措施。（详情参见相关报道）好在最近，公司的境况有了好转。我们去年 9 月曾报道，布雷克斯的年化营收刚突破 7 ...

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures declined slightly after major indices posted gains for two consecutive days [1] - The Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Russell 2000 showed minor declines in premarket trading [4] Economic Data - U.S. Final GDP for Q3 was reported at 4.4%, exceeding estimates of 4.3% [2] - The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased by 2.8% year-over-year, aligning with estimates [2] - The 10-year Treasury bond yield was at 4.23%, while the two-year bond yield was at 3.60% [3] Stocks in Focus - **Capital One Financial Corp.**: Shares fell by 3.31% in pre-market trading after Q4 results missed analyst expectations [6] - **Revelation Biosciences Inc.**: Shares surged by 38.11% after announcing an agreement with the FDA for its drug Gemini [6] - **Intel Corp.**: Shares dropped over 12% due to a weak Q1 outlook that fell short of analyst estimates [6] - **CSX Corp.**: Shares increased by 2.99% despite missing consensus estimates on both revenue and earnings [6] Sector Performance - Energy, materials, consumer discretionary, and healthcare sectors led gains in the S&P 500 on Thursday [7] Analyst Insights - Bank of America's fund manager survey indicated institutional investors are the most bullish since 2021, with 38% expecting stronger global growth [9] - The Bull & Bear Indicator rose to 9.4, indicating high optimism among investors [10] Commodities and Crypto - Crude oil futures rose by 1.03% to approximately $59.97 per barrel [11] - Gold Spot price increased by 0.19% to around $4,918.76 per ounce [11] - Bitcoin traded 0.40% lower at $89,258.41 per coin [11]

This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Capital One Financial said Thursday it will buy the tech startup Brex for $5.15 billion in cash and stock, giving the bank an established financial technology company that integrates cards, payments and banking in a single offering. “Since our founding, we set out to build a payments company at the frontier of the technology revolution,” Capital One ...

Core Viewpoint - Capital One CEO Richard Fairbank warns that President Trump's proposed 10% cap on credit card interest rates could severely limit consumer access to credit and destabilize the economy [1][2]. Group 1: Economic Impact - Fairbank argues that implementing a price control on credit will not make it more affordable but will reduce its availability across the credit spectrum [2]. - He emphasizes that consumer credit is crucial to the U.S. economy, with 70% of GDP driven by consumer spending, and $6 trillion of that spending occurring on credit cards [2]. - A significant reduction in available credit could lead to economic shocks and potentially trigger a recession due to decreased consumer spending [2]. Group 2: Company Vulnerability - Analysts indicate that Capital One is particularly vulnerable to interest rate caps due to its reliance on revolving credit card balances and net interest income [3]. - The company reported $279.6 billion in credit card loans, which is the largest portion of its total loan portfolio of $453.6 billion [3]. Group 3: Industry Reactions - Other industry experts, including JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, have echoed Fairbank's concerns, stating that the proposal could remove credit access for 80% of Americans and lead to economic disaster [4]. - John Garner, CEO of Odynn, notes that consumers with less-than-perfect credit would be the first to feel the negative effects of the proposed cap, suggesting it would not create a level playing field but rather shrink access to credit [5]. Group 4: Financial Performance - Capital One reported fourth-quarter revenue of $15.58 billion, a 52.92% increase year-over-year, surpassing consensus estimates of $15.48 billion [5]. - However, the company missed earnings expectations with a reported $3.86 per share, below the consensus estimate of $4.11 per share [6]. - Following the earnings miss, Capital One's stock fell 3.31% in after-hours trading, despite a 1.76% increase during regular trading hours [7].

Capital One Financial Corp. has agreed to acquire fintech startup Brex in a deal valued at $5.15 billion, the transaction was disclosed on Thursday. Under the terms of the agreement, Capital One will ... ...

该公司表示，预计将在今年年中完成对Brex的收购，且其首席执行官佩德罗.弗朗切斯基(Pedro Franceschi)将继续领导该业务。Brex在2022年1月的估值曾达到123亿美元，并在去年曾考虑首次公开募 股。弗朗切斯基在交易宣布后接受采访时表示："如果你看看当前在公开市场交易、与Brex类似公司的 估值倍数，这笔交易的溢价水平非常高。" 对此，第一资本信贷首席执行官理查德.费尔班克(Richard Fairbank)表示，这样的利率上限将减少信贷供 应，并可能使美国经济陷入衰退。他补充称："可用信贷的大幅收缩可能会对整个经济造成多重冲击。" 与此同时，第一资本信贷透露，计划以约50%现金和50%股票的方式收购非上市企业Brex。这笔交易将 成为第一资本信贷自去年以约350亿美元收购Discover Financial Services以来规模最大的一次收购，那次 收购创造了美国最大的信用卡贷款机构。费尔班克指出："自成立以来，我们一直致力于在技术革命的 前沿打造一家支付公司。收购Brex将加速这一进程，尤其是在企业支付市场。" 第一资本信贷(COF.US)周四公布了其2025年第四季度业绩，并宣布以5 ...

Core Viewpoint - Capital One's acquisition of Brex for $5.2 billion is a strategic move to enhance its business banking and payments capabilities, expanding beyond traditional card offerings [1][5][9] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition aims to integrate Brex's platform of business cards, spend management software, and banking services into Capital One's operations, addressing the fragmented tools currently used by businesses [5][7] - CEO Richard Fairbank emphasized that Brex's technology allows Capital One to reach a wider range of businesses, from startups to global enterprises, without the need to rebuild infrastructure [10][11] Group 2: Market Context - The business payments market is estimated at approximately $2 trillion in annual purchase volume, with a growing trend as companies shift away from cash and checks [9] - The business card market is growing at about 9% annually, with Brex experiencing even faster growth [10] Group 3: Financial Performance - Capital One's credit metrics are improving, with domestic card charge-offs declining and delinquency rates aligning with seasonal patterns, indicating a stabilization in credit performance [11] - Consumer spending remains resilient, with purchase volumes on Capital One's cards increasing by 6.2% excluding the impact of Discover operations [12] Group 4: Regulatory Concerns - Fairbank warned of potential "unintended consequences" from proposed regulations to cap credit card interest rates, suggesting that such measures could reduce access to credit and negatively impact consumer spending [14][15] Group 5: Future Integration - Brex will be integrated alongside Capital One's existing initiatives, including the Discover acquisition, with initial earnings dilution expected but no changes to capital plans or share repurchase cadence [16]

Stock Market Overview - U.S. stocks finished higher with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.6% to 49,384.01, S&P 500 up 0.55% to 6,913.35, and Nasdaq up 0.9% to 23,436.02 [1] Intel Corporation - Intel reported fourth-quarter revenue of $13.67 billion, exceeding estimates of $13.37 billion, with adjusted earnings of 15 cents per share compared to expectations of 8 cents [2] - Revenue declined 4% year over year, with Client Computing down 7% to $8.2 billion, while Data Center and AI revenue rose 9% to $4.7 billion [2] - For the first quarter, Intel guided revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, projecting breakeven adjusted earnings [2] - Intel's stock rose by 0.13% to close at $54.32, but slipped 11.4% in after-hours trading to $48.11 [1][2] GE Aerospace - GE Aerospace reported fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.57, beating estimates of $1.39–$1.44, on revenue of $11.87 billion, above expectations of $11.24 billion [4] - Commercial Engines & Services revenue increased to $9.47 billion, driven by a 31% year-over-year increase in Services [4] - For 2026, GE guided adjusted EPS of $7.10 to $7.40 and free cash flow of $8.0 billion to $8.4 billion [4] - GE Aerospace shares fell by 7.41% to close at $295 [3][4] Intuitive Surgical Inc - Intuitive Surgical reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.87 billion, beating estimates of $2.75 billion, with adjusted EPS of $2.53 compared to expectations of $2.26 [6] - Revenue rose 19% year over year, supported by an 18% increase in worldwide da Vinci procedures [6] - The stock increased by 0.40% to close at $525.81, rising 2.38% in extended trading to $538.30 [5][6] Capital One Financial Corp - Capital One reported fourth-quarter earnings of $3.86 per share, missing estimates of $4.11, while revenue was $15.58 billion, beating expectations [8] - Total net revenue rose 1% to $15.6 billion, but pre-provision earnings fell 12% to $6.2 billion due to a 13% increase in non-interest expenses [8] - The company confirmed an agreement to acquire fintech Brex Inc. for $5.15 billion, split between cash and stock [8] - Capital One's stock rose by 1.76% to close at $235.07, but fell 3.3% in after-hours trading to $227.30 [7][8] Meta Platforms Inc - Meta Platforms' stock surged by 5.66% to close at $647.63, with an intraday high of $660.57 [10] - The company announced the global rollout of ads on its Threads platform, which has over 400 million monthly active users [10]

Core Viewpoint - Capital One plans to acquire Brex, an expense management platform, for $5.15 billion, aiming to enhance its technological capabilities and market position in the financial services sector [1][2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - The companies have signed a definitive agreement, with the transaction expected to close mid-year, subject to customary closing conditions [2]. - Brex's platform is AI-native, automating complex workflows for businesses, including issuing corporate cards and managing expenses [2]. Group 2: Strategic Implications - Richard D. Fairbank, CEO of Capital One, stated that the acquisition will accelerate the bank's efforts to be at the forefront of the technology revolution [2]. - Brex's platform serves tens of thousands of businesses, including one in three U.S. startups and over 300 public companies [3]. Group 3: Leadership and Future Plans - Brex Founder and CEO Pedro Franceschi will continue to lead Brex as part of Capital One post-acquisition [3]. - Franceschi emphasized that the combination of Brex's technology and Capital One's scale will significantly enhance their market and product development efforts [5]. Group 4: Financial Metrics - Capital One has $900 billion in annual card gross merchandise value, $700 billion in assets, and a market cap of $150 billion [4]. - The bank allocates $6 billion each for marketing and research and development [4]. Group 5: Recent Developments - Brex has recently partnered with Fifth Third Bank for a commercial card and announced plans to integrate stablecoin payments into its global corporate card [6]. - Capital One's acquisition of Discover Financial Services marked a new era for the bank, enhancing its size and capabilities in the banking and card sectors [7].