Business Performance - Rakuten Mobile surpassed the target of 10 million subscribers, achieving full year profitability at the EBITDA level of JPY 12.9 billion, a year-on-year improvement of JPY 66.7 billion [2] Financial Results - Consolidated revenue increased by 9.5% year-on-year to JPY 2.5 trillion, marking the 29th consecutive year of revenue growth [3] - The FinTech segment significantly contributed to this growth, with a year-on-year increase of 19% [3] - Consolidated non-GAAP operating income rose by JPY 99.2 billion year-on-year to JPY 106.3 billion, driven by the FinTech segment and improved losses in the Mobile segment [3] AI Initiatives - The Chief AI and Data Officer will provide an update regarding the company's AI initiatives, indicating a focus on technological advancements [1]

Core Insights - Rakuten Advertising has launched Innovation Labs, a product collaboration hub aimed at enhancing AI applications for advertisers and publishers, ultimately improving ad spend efficiency [1][2] - The initiative aligns with Rakuten Group's 'Triple 20' commitment, which aims for a 20% increase in efficiency across various operations, including client services [2] - Innovation Labs will facilitate ongoing experiments and updates based on client feedback, creating a dynamic research and development environment [3] For Advertisers - AI Recommendations will analyze multidimensional advertiser attributes to identify new types of publishers, focusing on profiles and products to maximize growth [5] - The platform aims to enhance campaign success by connecting advertisers with publishers that have demonstrated effectiveness in similar campaigns [5] For Publishers - AI-driven Product Recommendations will streamline research processes and improve monetization by identifying emerging trends from both partnered and non-partnered advertisers [5] - The system will curate trends for targeted audiences, utilizing brand and category filters to narrow down options [5] Industry Impact - Innovation Labs is designed to foster collaboration and experimentation among advertisers and publishers, promoting greater efficiency and accelerating growth within the affiliate marketing sector [4]

Core Viewpoint - Rakuten Medical, a cancer treatment developer partially owned by Japan's Rakuten Group, has successfully completed a fundraising round to expedite the approval process for its cancer treatment in the U.S. [1] Company Summary - Rakuten Medical is focused on developing innovative cancer therapies and is leveraging recent funding to enhance its operational capabilities and regulatory approval timeline in the U.S. [1]

Core Viewpoint - Airspan Networks Holdings LLC has been selected by Rakuten Mobile to provide Open RAN compliant radios for deployment in Japan's nationwide mobile network, marking a significant milestone in the industry supported by NTIA grants for Open RAN development [1] Group 1 - Airspan Networks is recognized as a leading global provider of wireless network solutions [1] - The deployment of Open RAN compliant radios represents the first commercial initiative in the industry backed by government grants [1] - Rakuten Mobile's selection of Airspan Networks highlights the growing adoption of Open RAN technology in mobile networks [1]

Just as Bitcoin plummeted 12% over the last week, shares in East Asian companies with ties to crypto are also feeling the heat. Recent months have seen a slew of listed Japanese companies follow Metaplanet’s lead into the Bitcoin treasury business. Now, bearish crypto forces are dragging their share prices down by roughly 10% over the last five days. Japanese treasury firms bruised So far, the carnage has been cast wide and includes Bitcoin Japan, formerly Marusho Hotta. The firm, a 164-year-old kimon ...

Core Insights - Bilt and Rakuten have launched a partnership allowing over 5 million Bilt Members to convert Rakuten Cash Back into Bilt Points, enhancing the rewards experience during the holiday shopping season [1][4][5] Partnership Details - The partnership enables Bilt Members to earn rewards on purchases made at over 3,500 retailers through Rakuten, with the integration available in the Bilt app and Rakuten's platforms [2][4] - Members can redeem Rakuten Cash Back for Bilt Points at an introductory rate of 1:1 for the first six months, meaning $10 in Cash Back equals 1,000 Bilt Points [5][7] Benefits for Users - Bilt Members can earn points on everyday purchases, which can be used for various rewards such as travel, rent credits, and fitness classes [3][9] - A welcome bonus of 2,500 Bilt Points is available for new Rakuten sign-ups through the Bilt app after a qualifying purchase of $25 or more [5][8] Strategic Timing - The launch coincides with the holiday shopping season, particularly Black Friday, making it an opportune time for consumers to maximize their rewards [1][4] Company Background - Bilt is a loyalty program designed for renters, allowing them to earn rewards on rent and HOA payments, while Rakuten is a leading Cash Back shopping platform with over $4.6 billion in Cash Back earned by its members since 1999 [9][10]

Core Insights - Rezolve Ai (RZLV) and Bitfarms Ltd. (BITF) are speculative equity investments in emerging sectors, with RZLV focusing on AI-commerce and digital retail tech, while BITF is transitioning to high-performance computing (HPC) and AI from bitcoin mining [1] Group 1: Rezolve Ai (RZLV) - RZLV has experienced a significant 426% year-over-year revenue growth in the first half of 2025, achieving over $90 million in annual recurring revenues (ARR) [2][9] - The company aims for a minimum ARR exit rate of $150 million for 2025 and $500 million for 2026, driven by its Brain Suite technology [2][3] - Brain Suite, which includes Brain Commerce and Brain Checkout, serves over 100 customers, including major firms like Rakuten Group and Cognizant, and has processed over 13 billion API calls [3][4] - RZLV's partnership with Microsoft and Google enhances its market reach and operational scalability [4] - Despite the positive growth trajectory, RZLV faces challenges with widening net losses of $57.9 million in the first half of 2025 and competitive pressures from larger players in the AI and e-commerce sectors [5] Group 2: Bitfarms Ltd. (BITF) - BITF reported an 87% year-over-year revenue increase in Q2 2025 and is pivoting towards the HPC/AI market, with over 80% of its pipeline and all Megawatts under development located in the U.S. [6][9] - The company secured a $300 million debt facility from Macquarie Group to support its HPC/AI expansion [7][9] - While diversifying from traditional bitcoin mining, BITF's reliance on bitcoin prices poses risks, and the nascent HPC/AI business is capital-intensive [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BITF's 2025 sales is $314.5 million, indicating a 63.1% year-over-year increase, with a projected $367 million for 2026 [11] - BITF's stock has surged 250% in the past three months, significantly outperforming the industry [9][14] Group 3: Comparative Analysis - RZLV's forward price-to-sales multiple is 5.38 times, lower than its 12-month median of 9.55 times, while BITF's multiple is 6.37 times, higher than its median of 1.91 times [17] - RZLV is currently experiencing a correction phase with a 19.2% decline, while BITF has increased by 250% over the same period [9][14] - The operational scalability of RZLV's Brain Suite contrasts with BITF's capital-intensive HPC/AI strategy, which raises concerns about recurring cash flows [20]

Company Overview - AST SpaceMobile is a Texas-based producer of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, founded in 2017, and went public via a SPAC merger on April 7, 2021 [2] - The company’s stock opened at $11.63 and currently trades around $85, reflecting an increase of over 300% this year [4] Business Model - AST's LEO satellites provide 2G, 4G, and 5G cellular signals directly to smartphones and devices in rural areas lacking terrestrial cellular coverage [5] - The company has established partnerships with major telecom operators including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and Rakuten Group to enhance their 5G networks using its satellites [6] Recent Developments - AST launched its first five Block 1 BlueBird (BB1) satellites last September and received temporary FCC authorization to test these satellites with AT&T and Verizon [8] - The launch of the larger Block 2 BlueBird (BB2) satellites has been postponed, which are expected to be three and a half times larger and process about ten times more data [9] Future Plans - The company aims to have 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026, with a long-term goal of expanding to 243 LEO satellites, pending broader FCC approval [10] Financial Performance - In 2024, AST generated $4 million in revenue but incurred a net loss of $300 million [11] - Analysts project a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 473% for revenue from 2024 to 2027, reaching $830 million as the company becomes profitable [11] Valuation Concerns - With a market cap of $22.7 billion, AST is valued at 27 times its projected sales for 2027, raising concerns about potential limitations on upside and vulnerability during market downturns [12] - The company has increased its outstanding shares by 426% since its SPAC merger, indicating ongoing dilution of investor equity [12] Capital Raising - AST recently announced plans to sell an additional $800 million worth of shares to fund operations over the next three years, with insiders selling more shares than they purchased in the past year [13] Market Outlook - The global LEO satellite market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2025 to 2035, indicating a promising long-term outlook for AST SpaceMobile [14]

Rakuten Group priced a local bond at the year’s highest coupon of 4.691%, giving Japan’s credit market the clearest sign yet of the impact of rising rates on corporate borrowing costs https://t.co/jxB7R2B7U4 ...

Core Insights - Rezolve AI PLC's Brain Suite, which includes Brain Commerce and Brain Checkout, serves over 100 enterprise clients globally, including ASOS, Rakuten Group, Wipro, and PwC, enabling autonomous AI agents for real-time commerce [1][8] - The Brain Suite has processed over 13 billion API calls and facilitated 1.6 billion search sessions in the first eight months of 2025, indicating high operational scalability and consumer engagement [2] - Partnerships with Microsoft and Google enhance the distribution of the Brain Suite, with expectations of reaching $500 million in annual recurring revenues by 2026 [3] Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Rezolve AI's revenues increased by 426% year-over-year, achieving a gross margin of 95.8% [4][8] - The company is focusing on integrating digital asset capabilities into its Brain Checkout solutions to strengthen its position in AI and commerce [4] Market Position - Rezolve AI's stock has increased by 90.3% over the past three months, outperforming the industry growth of 26.2% and surpassing competitors like Priority Technology and AppLovin [6][8] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 7.45, which is lower than AppLovin's 29.16 but higher than Priority Technology's 0.54 [10] Valuation and Estimates - Rezolve AI has a Value Score of F, while AppLovin and Priority Technology have scores of D and A, respectively [13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rezolve AI's loss per share in 2025 has been adjusted to 20 cents from 16 cents, and for 2026, it has changed to 6 cents from 4 cents [13]