This story was originally published on CFO.com. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO.com newsletter. Private equity dealmakers are completing fewer but bigger-ticket transactions in 2025. That’s among the takeaways from KPMG’s third quarter “Pulse of Private Equity” report released late last week. According to the Big Four accounting firm’s research, there were 4,062 private equity deals globally in the third quarter of this year, down from 5,070 in the same quarter of 202 ...

Core Insights - Hedera Hashgraph has been selected to participate in the Bank of England's DLT challenge, which focuses on testing the application of Distributed Ledger Technology in finance [1][3] - Following this announcement, HBAR crypto has seen a 15% increase over the week, coinciding with the launch of the Hedera ETF on October 28 [1][6] - The Bank of England's commitment to exploring DLT innovation marks a significant shift in the UK's approach to cryptocurrency, potentially increasing institutional interest in HBAR [2][4] DLT Challenge Details - The DLT Innovation Challenge is a collaborative initiative between the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub, aimed at exploring transactions and settlements of central bank money on external programmable ledgers [3][4] - The challenge will run throughout the autumn and invites firms to demonstrate secure transaction methods for central bank money on non-Bank of England controlled ledgers [4] Learning Outcomes and Participants - Key learning outcomes from the challenge will include insights on settlement finality, security, scalability, transaction volume handling, network control, regulatory balance, and interoperability [5] - Other notable participants in the challenge include Ava Labs, Chainlink, Aave Labs, USDC issuer Circle, HSBC, and KPMG [5] ETF Launch Impact - The launch of the HBAR ETF by Canary Capital marks the first US-listed ETFs providing direct exposure to Hedera and Litecoin, making them the third digital assets to receive spot ETF listing approvals after Bitcoin and Ethereum [6][7] - The interaction on social media between Hedera and Litecoin highlights the significance of this milestone in the digital asset space [7]

Core Insights - Swiss enterprises are leading the global shift towards an AI-driven workplace, adopting automation and hybrid work practices more rapidly than their European counterparts [1][20] - The transition from AI experimentation to large-scale implementation is evident, with a focus on enhancing productivity and employee well-being [2][3] AI Adoption and Implementation - AI adoption in Switzerland has progressed to large-scale implementation, with organizations automating processes and creating new working methods [2][3] - Enterprises are developing frameworks for responsible AI to build employee trust and ensure sustainable productivity [2][3] Workplace Strategies and Governance - Swiss enterprises are modernizing workplace strategies amid competitive pressures, emphasizing AI governance as a key criterion for selecting service providers [3][4] - Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements are driving the adoption of sustainability practices, including carbon tracking and circular IT [3] Collaboration and User Experience - Collaboration in Swiss enterprises is evolving, shifting focus from traditional service-level indicators to user experience metrics [4][5] - Generative AI platforms are facilitating this transition, leading organizations to establish frameworks for AI readiness and governance [4] Digital Employee Experience - Digital employee experience (DEX) is a central priority, with providers offering AI analytics to proactively address operational issues [5] - Subscription-based device-as-a-service (DaaS) models are being embraced for lifecycle management and cost predictability [5] Market Evaluation and Leadership - The 2025 ISG Provider Lens Future of Work Services report evaluates 40 providers across six quadrants, identifying leaders such as Swisscom, TCS, and Wipro [9][10] - Microland is recognized as the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025, achieving the highest customer satisfaction scores [12]

Group 1 - The article emphasizes the importance of identifying high-potential investment opportunities before they become mainstream, focusing on asymmetric opportunities with a potential upside of 3-5 times the downside risk [1] - The investment strategy involves leveraging market inefficiencies and contrarian insights to maximize long-term compounding while safeguarding against capital impairment [1] - A strong margin of safety is prioritized in risk management to protect against capital loss, with a 2-3 year investment horizon to endure market volatility [1]

In 1914, a satirical illustration published in Australia used the three-letter acronym CEO for what is believed to be the very first time. The abbreviation for chief executive officer didn’t catch on in corporate America until 1972, but within three years almost all heads of Fortune 500 companies were using the CEO title. Today, just about everybody knows what a CEO is, although the position of the top-ranking corporate officer has evolved a great deal over the decades. Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang be ...

Core Insights - Companies are pursuing unconventional IPO plans despite the ongoing government shutdown, surprising many on Wall Street [1][3] Group 1: IPO Activity - Travel software startup Navan Inc. and electric plane-maker Beta Technologies Inc. are two candidates for IPOs before the Thanksgiving holiday, highlighting the growing popularity of a 20-day marketing period [2][3] - IPO activity during the shutdown has exceeded expectations, with some companies opting for earlier listings due to fatigue with the IPO process [4] - US IPOs have raised $34.7 billion through October 17, 2024, already surpassing the total raised in all of 2024 [7] Group 2: Company-Specific Details - Navan plans to market its IPO with a price range of $24 to $26, aiming to raise up to $960 million, with some proceeds allocated to repay outstanding debt [4] - Beta Technologies reported less than $20 million in revenue for the first half of the year, with net losses increasing to $183 million, but has secured five cornerstone investors for up to $300 million of a potential $825 million raise [5] Group 3: Market Conditions and Future Outlook - The current favorable market conditions are motivating companies to proceed with IPOs despite uncertainties, as the window for listings narrows between Thanksgiving and Christmas [10][11] - There is speculation that if the government shutdown ends, a busy period for IPOs could occur at the end of October, with many companies looking to debut in early November [10]

Core Insights - JP Morgan and Rothschild & Co have emerged as the leading financial advisers in the Middle East & African (MEA) region for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) during the first three quarters of 2025, with JP Morgan leading by value and Rothschild & Co by volume [1][2] Group 1: JP Morgan's Performance - JP Morgan's advisory services were linked to transactions totaling $56.5 billion in Q1-Q3 2025, marking a significant improvement from not being in the top 10 by value in the same period of 2024 [1][3] - A key transaction contributing to JP Morgan's top position by value was the acquisition of Electronic Arts by a consortium of investors for approximately $55 billion [3] Group 2: Rothschild & Co's Performance - Rothschild & Co improved its ranking by deal volume from second place in Q1-Q3 2024 to the top position in Q1-Q3 2025, having been involved in six deals [2] - In the volume rankings, KPMG secured the second position with five deals, while Rand Merchant Bank also had five deals but with lower deal value [4] Group 3: Other Advisers - Qatalyst Partners ranked second in value with advisory roles in deals worth $25 billion [3] - Houlihan Lokey and William Blair each advised on $2.5 billion worth of deals, while Goldman Sachs followed with $2.2 billion [4]

Core Insights - KPMG is enhancing its operations by integrating Salesforce's Agentforce, aiming to improve efficiency and client experiences through AI technology [1][2][4] Group 1: Implementation of Agentforce - KPMG is deploying Agentforce globally to automate research, streamline meeting preparation, and summarize insights, allowing professionals to focus on client interactions [2][4] - The firm has vetted Agentforce against its Trusted AI Framework, ensuring confidence in the technology's adoption [3] Group 2: Strategic Focus and Industry Applications - KPMG is leveraging its internal deployment of Agentforce to create accelerators across various industries, including healthcare and financial services, to expedite client deployment of AI agents [4] - The AI agents are designed to maximize value by prioritizing regulations and providing scalable roadmaps tailored to specific industries [4] Group 3: Community Engagement and AI Impact - KPMG is collaborating with Braven to develop an AI agent for volunteer matching, as part of its AI Impact Initiative aimed at benefiting nonprofit organizations [5] - This initiative combines skills-based volunteering and philanthropy to enhance the impact of AI in community services [5] Group 4: Broader AI Strategy - The deployment of Agentforce follows KPMG's launch of Workbench, a global AI platform for agent communication, enhancing agent orchestration and connectivity [6] - This strategic move is expected to drive measurable business impact by allowing employees to focus on strategic tasks rather than repetitive ones [6]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cash operating expenses for the quarter were $2,430,000, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of $1,740,000 [13] - Total available liquidity at the end of the second quarter was $9,860,000 [13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company executed a supply contract with a leading sports apparel company for a fixed amount of textile to textile polyester resin, which includes a guaranteed take or pay element [6][7] - A supply contract was also executed with Taro Plast for DMT produced from the Infinite Loop India project, highlighting the company's ability to supply virgin quality DMT made from 100% recycled content [7][8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is currently in discussions with several consumer packaged goods (CPG) and apparel brand companies to secure additional offtake agreements for the Infinite Loop India project [8] - The textile industry partnerships with Xingkong and Hyosung are expected to expand the reach of the company's polyester resin products [10][11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on constructing the Infinite Loop India manufacturing facility, with a total cost estimate of $176,000,000, and is currently trending to complete construction below this estimate [8][9] - The company plans to expand its capacity in India, with the land acquired allowing for a second facility of 100,000 tons, which would represent a 50% increase in capacity [39] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the progress of the India project, with expectations to have it operational by 2027 [22] - The company is optimistic about securing additional supply agreements by the end of the year and believes that the current market conditions allow for a diversified portfolio [20][38] Other Important Information - The company has received positive feedback from lenders regarding the debt syndication process for the India project, with several term sheets already received [21][48] - The removal of cash covenants on the line of credit was seen as a vote of confidence in the company's predictable revenue streams and profitability [43] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you expand on the anchor offtake agreement with the Global Sports brand? - The company did not disclose specific volumes for negotiation reasons but confirmed it is a significant contract [20] Question: What is the construction timeline for the India project? - The project is on schedule to be operational by 2027, with customer contracts being a gating item for debt financing [22] Question: Can you discuss the commercial pipeline for DMT and polymers beyond automotive? - The company is exploring various markets for DMT, emphasizing its unique position in supplying virgin quality DMT made from recycled content [25] Question: What does the partnership with Xingkong and Hyosung entail? - The partnerships allow the company to integrate its products into the supply chains of textile and apparel brands, facilitating easier access to its materials [33] Question: How does the company plan to diversify its portfolio? - The company aims to balance its offerings across textiles, packaging, and chemicals to mitigate market fluctuations [38] Question: What is the status of the engineering services agreement? - Revenue from the engineering services agreement is expected to start in November once the detailed engineering phase kicks off [50]

Core Points - KPMG has laid off 195 employees in its US audit division, representing over 2% of its audit staff in the country [1][2] - The layoffs are part of a multi-year audit transformation aimed at adapting to changing market demands and addressing low staff turnover [2][3] - This marks the fourth round of job cuts in three years, with previous reductions occurring in 2022 and 2023 [3] Company Actions - KPMG has committed to providing severance benefits, extended health coverage options, and career transition support to the affected employees [2] - The company is undergoing a leadership transition, with Tim Walsh as the new US CEO and Christian Peo as the audit sector vice chair [3] Financial Context - KPMG reported US revenues of $12.6 billion in 2024 [3]