Core Insights - The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index showed little change in September, indicating that global supply chains are still operating below full capacity [1][4] - Chinese factories reported a significant increase in purchasing, leading to a rise in global manufacturing procurement activity, while North American supply chains faced challenges due to tariff-related delays and economic concerns [2][7] - European supply chains remained underutilized, with manufacturers in key countries reducing purchasing and stockpiles, marking the weakest activity level since March [3][8] Regional Key Findings - **Asia**: Chinese manufacturers increased purchasing sharply in September, resulting in the busiest level for Asia's supply chains since June 2022 [7][8] - **North America**: Manufacturers were hesitant to stockpile further due to economic outlook concerns, with tariff-related disruptions impacting manufacturing activity [8] - **Europe**: Supply chain activity in Germany, France, and Italy declined, leading to a six-month low in the region's index [8] Demand and Inventory Trends - September saw a revival in factory purchasing, particularly in Asia, driven by increased demand in China [8] - The frequency of global manufacturers stockpiling due to price or supply fears decreased, indicating reduced concerns about inflation or item availability [8] - Global supply shortages tracker showed a decrease, suggesting robust item availability for manufacturers [8][14] Transportation and Labor Insights - Global transportation costs remained in line with historically normal levels during September [14] - Staffing capacity was not a constraint for global manufacturers, with reports of backlogs due to labor shortages falling below the long-term average [14]

Core Insights - S&P Global and CME Group have completed the sale of OSTTRA to KKR for a total enterprise value of $3.1 billion, with both companies sharing the proceeds equally due to their 50/50 joint venture [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - OSTTRA was established in 2021 as a joint venture between CME Group and S&P Global, providing a comprehensive suite of post-trade offerings across various asset classes including interest rates, FX, credit, and equity [2]. - The services offered by OSTTRA include end-to-end connectivity and workflow solutions for banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, and other market participants, focusing on trade processing, lifecycle management, and optimization [2]. Group 2: Advisory Roles - Barclays and Davis Polk acted as financial and legal advisors to S&P Global during the transaction, while Citi and Skadden served in similar capacities for CME Group [3].

Core Insights - The demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is strong and is expected to support stable growth in the ethylene glycol market in the long term, but the market needs to digest new capacity in the short term to achieve supply-demand rebalancing [1][2] - The average operating rate of ethylene glycol plants has dropped below 60% due to annual new capacity consistently exceeding demand, with capacity growth outpacing demand growth by a factor of two [1] - China has become the main driver of capacity expansion in the ethylene glycol market, currently accounting for half of global production and increasing its self-sufficiency rate from below 50% to over 75% [1][2] Supply and Demand Dynamics - The oversupply situation is expected to persist, with North American ethane cracker operators not likely to reach breakeven until 2027-2028, while market recovery in Northeast Asia and Western Europe may not occur until after 2030 [2] - Global trade flows of ethylene glycol are primarily concentrated between the Middle East and China, with China projected to account for approximately 70% of global net imports in 2024 [2] - The U.S. has gradually become an important source of ethylene glycol imports for China, with its share reaching 13% by 2024, although imports from the U.S. have significantly declined this year [2] Future Outlook - Long-term demand for PET is expected to remain strong, providing support for stable trade growth [2] - Despite a slowdown in capacity expansion, the oversupply situation will take time to rebalance, and short-term uncertainties and policy fluctuations will exert pressure on the ethylene glycol market [2]

Core Insights - IBM is expanding its enterprise AI capabilities through a collaboration with S&P Global, integrating IBM's WatsonX Orchestrate into S&P's supply chain management solutions [1][2] - The partnership aims to address the complexities of global supply chains by combining IBM's AI technology with S&P's data and analytics to create AI-powered tools for better visibility in procurement and risk management [2][4] - The collaboration will also extend to other business functions such as finance, procurement, and insurance, enhancing decision-making across various sectors [6][7] Company Developments - S&P Global will create new agents for IBM's WatsonX Orchestrate Agent Catalog, leveraging its specialized data to improve supply chain decision-making [4] - IBM's WatsonX Orchestrate serves as a central platform for managing AI agents and workflows, featuring over 500 pre-built agents and tools [5] - IBM's Chief Commercial Officer highlighted the role of AI agents in helping businesses regain control over supply chains and optimize performance [6] Market Position - The partnership reinforces IBM's enterprise AI strategy as businesses increasingly seek practical AI applications to streamline operations [7] - IBM's transition from a hardware-centric model to a software-focused company is yielding positive results, with software now constituting 45% of its revenue, up from 25% five years ago [8] - This shift is driving mid-single-digit revenue growth, with free cash flow guidance raised to over $13.5 billion for 2025 [8]

Core Insights - The launch of the S&P Digital Markets 50 Index marks a significant step in the integration of traditional finance and the cryptocurrency world, reflecting Wall Street's endorsement of the legitimacy and market position of digital assets [1][12] - This index is a hybrid that combines both cryptocurrency prices and blockchain-related stocks, providing a comprehensive measure of the health of the entire digital asset ecosystem [4][5] Index Composition - The index consists of 50 assets, including 35 publicly traded companies deeply connected to the crypto ecosystem and 15 major cryptocurrencies selected from the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Market Index [5][6] - The index has strict rules, such as a weight cap of 5% for any single asset, a minimum market cap of $100 million for stocks, and $300 million for cryptocurrencies [6] Institutional Demand - The index aims to meet the growing demand from institutional investors who seek a transparent and reliable tool for assessing exposure to the digital asset ecosystem [6][10] - It provides a comprehensive market view, allowing investors to understand the performance of both the companies building the digital future and the native value carriers (cryptocurrencies) [6][10] Tokenization and Financial Infrastructure - The collaboration with Dinari to tokenize the index represents a significant shift in financial infrastructure, allowing investors to buy, hold, and trade the index on the blockchain [8][10] - This tokenization is seen as a modernization of trusted benchmarks, enabling access to both U.S. stocks and digital assets in a single, transparent product [8][10] Market Context - The launch coincides with a bullish sentiment in the crypto market, with Bitcoin reaching new historical highs, indicating that mainstream finance recognizes digital assets as a vital asset class [12] - The index serves as a bridge between Wall Street's rigorous rules and the innovative nature of the crypto world, marking a transition of digital assets from alternative investments to essential components of global asset allocation [12]

Core Insights - Fred Alger Management, LLC has surpassed $600 million in assets under management for its suite of ETFs, highlighting its strong investment performance in innovative companies with long-term growth potential [1][2] - The Alger 35 ETF (ATFV) has outperformed the S&P 500 by 2,102 basis points this year, delivering a total return of 39.85% as of September 30, 2025 [2][3] - The Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (ALAI) and Alger Concentrated Equity ETF (CNEQ) have also shown strong performance, with returns of 42.71% and 35.91% respectively, significantly exceeding the S&P 500's return of 14.83% [3][4] Company Overview - Founded in 1964, Fred Alger Management is recognized as a pioneer in growth-style investment management, focusing on companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change [6] - The company is privately held and headquartered in New York City, managing approximately $32.8 billion in assets [1][6] - Alger's investment philosophy emphasizes identifying transformational and disruptive growth companies, particularly in the context of accelerating AI adoption [2][4] ETF Performance - The Alger 35 ETF (ATFV) has shown impressive annual returns, with a year-to-date return of 39.85% and a one-year return of 59.36% as of September 30, 2025 [7] - The Alger AI Enablers & Adopters ETF (ALAI) has delivered a year-to-date return of 42.71% and a one-year return of 61.95% since its inception in April 2024 [8] - The Alger Concentrated Equity ETF (CNEQ) has achieved a year-to-date return of 35.91% and a one-year return of 52.58%, also since its launch in April 2024 [9] Strategic Focus - Alger's ETFs are actively managed, with a focus on high-conviction holdings in sectors poised for growth, particularly in AI and technology [4][5] - The company aims to provide a diverse range of investment strategies to meet the needs of financial advisors and their clients, with actively managed ETFs being a key component of their growth-focused approach [5]

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Core Insights - The Deloitte Finance Trends report highlights how finance leaders are adapting to complexities and preparing for future challenges through a global survey of 1,326 finance leaders, primarily CFOs from companies with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion [1] Group 1: Finance Trends - Scenario planning and agile governance are essential as finance chiefs balance cost efficiency with growth investments amid supply chain disruptions, with 75% of respondents indicating insufficient resources for investment [2] - Finance leaders are increasingly seen as primary strategy influencers, with 57% of respondents claiming this role, and nearly half utilizing cloud solutions to optimize costs [3][4] Group 2: Cost Management - Finance-led cost management is linked to measurable value, with 36% of finance leaders primarily responsible for cost management, and 47% of these leaders consistently meeting cost-savings targets [6] Group 3: AI Integration - While 63% of finance teams are experimenting with AI, only 21% report clear, measurable value from these investments, and just 14% have fully integrated AI agents into their finance functions [7][8] - Early-stage AI adopters face challenges in justifying ROI, with 30% struggling compared to 21% of more advanced AI users [9] Group 4: Talent Development - A significant focus on infusing technology talent into finance departments is evident, with 64% of respondents planning to enhance technical skills by 2026, particularly in AI, automation, and data analysis [10]

Core Insights - S&P Global and IBM have formed a strategic alliance to integrate IBM's watsonx Orchestrate framework into S&P Global's offerings, starting with supply chain management [1][2] - The collaboration aims to provide AI-powered tools to enhance insight and visibility in supply chain and vendor selection, leveraging S&P Global's proprietary data and analytics [2][3] Group 1: Partnership Objectives - The partnership seeks to empower organizations to improve procurement strategies, manage risks, and make informed decisions, ultimately driving greater efficiency in a complex market [3] - S&P Global plans to expand the integration of IBM AI technology into additional risk intelligence services within its Market Intelligence division [2][3] Group 2: Product Offerings - The new offering will include AI agents that combine data across procurement, trade, country, and supplier risk domains to expedite decision-making in supply chain management [2] - IBM's watsonx Orchestrate includes an Agent Catalog featuring over 500 pre-built agents and tools to streamline workflows across businesses [4] Group 3: Market Positioning - S&P Global's supply chain solutions are part of its Risk & Valuation Services portfolio, which aims to provide differentiated data and analytics to help identify risk exposures and create market transparency [3] - The collaboration aligns with S&P Global's vision for agentic AI, focusing on developing trusted AI agents to enhance enterprise value [3]

Core Viewpoint - S&P Global has launched the S&P Digital Markets 50 Index, a hybrid benchmark that combines cryptocurrencies and crypto-linked equities, indicating Wall Street's increasing acceptance of digital assets [1][2]. Group 1: Index Composition and Structure - The S&P Digital Markets 50 Index will track 50 major components from the crypto economy, including 35 publicly traded companies and 15 cryptocurrencies selected from the S&P Cryptocurrency Broad Digital Market Index [2][6]. - The index aims to provide a unified metric for investors to assess performance across traditional equity markets and decentralized networks [2]. - The index will adhere to standard quarterly rebalancing and governance rules, with no single component exceeding 5% of the index's weight [5]. Group 2: Tokenization and Accessibility - The index was developed in collaboration with Dinari, a tokenization firm, which will create a token version of the benchmark on its dShares platform, enabling blockchain access for investors [3][7]. - The tokenized index is expected to go live by the end of the year, enhancing investor exposure to the index [3]. Group 3: Market Significance and Requirements - The creation of the Digital Markets 50 marks the first instance of S&P combining equities and cryptocurrencies in a single benchmark [6]. - Constituents of the index must meet minimum market capitalization requirements: $100 million for equities and $300 million for cryptocurrencies, ensuring the index reflects the largest and most liquid assets [6]. - This hybrid structure is made feasible by tokenization infrastructure, which allows for on-chain representation of both digital and regulated assets [7].