Group 1 - Nelson Peltz has increased his bid for Janus Henderson Group Plc to $8 billion, marking it as a "best and final" offer [1] - The new offer of $52 per share represents a 25% takeover premium and surpasses analysts' average 12-month target for Janus stock [4] - Janus has expressed strong objections to a competing bid from Victory Capital Holdings, citing significant flaws and concerns regarding the feasibility of the proposal [2][6][9] Group 2 - Victory's proposal, valued at nearly $57 per share based on its share price, faces numerous challenges, including the need for substantial debt financing [5][6] - Janus has indicated that Victory must present a more robust proposal to address its concerns, emphasizing that previous discussions have not yielded actionable results [9][10] - The market remains cautious about pushing Janus' stock price significantly above the new offer, as the situation is still evolving [11]

Core Viewpoint - eQ Plc has expanded its option program 2025 by 300,000 option rights, allowing for a total of 1,660,000 option rights, which can be converted into new shares, potentially increasing the company's share count by approximately 4% [1][2]. Group 1: Option Program Expansion - The Board of Directors has decided to expand the option program 2025, increasing the total number of option rights to 1,660,000 [1]. - The expansion allows holders to subscribe for up to 1,660,000 new shares, with a maximum dilutive effect of around 4% of the current shares [2]. Group 2: Employee Incentives - A total of 70,000 option rights will be granted to a key employee to encourage long-term shareholder value and align interests with the eQ Group [3]. - Approximately 25% of the eQ Group's personnel are participating in the option program 2025, indicating a significant employee engagement strategy [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - eQ is a Finnish group focused on asset management and corporate finance, managing approximately EUR 13.8 billion in assets [4]. - The company offers a range of services including mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, and equity capital markets through its subsidiary Advium Corporate Finance [4].

-- The Iran War Has Ratcheted Up Uncertainty. Why Some Investors Say Now Is 'Not the Time to React' Today's Markets: Live Coverage Cooling Rents Offer Inflation Relief What's the Price of Gas Right Now? Will the Fed's Next Move be a Hike? Top Stories Why This Is Important The stock market has powered through several bouts of extreme volatility and uncertainty over the past year, repeatedly rewarding investors who looked through chaos and bought the dip. The war in Iran has so far proved more vexing for inve ...

Core Insights - Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) has launched the first actively managed ETF share class, marking a significant milestone in the investment industry [1][3] - The firm is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2026, transitioning from an academic powerhouse to a leading player in the ETF market [1][2] ETF Assets and Fund Offerings - As of March 23, Dimensional manages over $260 billion in ETF assets across 41 funds, indicating strong market positioning [2] - The Dimensional US Micro Cap ETF (DFMC) is the first actively managed ETF launched as a secondary share class from an existing mutual fund, showcasing innovation in fund structures [3][4] SEC Approval and Active Management - Dimensional was the first firm to receive SEC exemptive relief for a dual-share class structure, demonstrating effective communication with regulatory bodies [4] - The firm emphasizes that "active" management refers to active implementation rather than high-turnover stock picking, aligning with current investor demand for active strategies [5][6] Investment Strategy and Filtering Process - Dimensional employs a systematic filtering methodology akin to making a perfect cup of coffee, focusing on quality by excluding stocks with low expected returns [7][8] - This filtering process is applied across various products, including international equities and fixed-income ETFs, allowing for dynamic adjustments based on market conditions [10][11] Longevity and Strategy Durability - Dimensional boasts a 100% fund survival rate over the last 20 years, contrasting with the industry average where only about 50% of funds from two decades ago still exist [12] - The firm's success is attributed to repeatable strategies and flexibility in implementation, ensuring consistency in performance over time [13][14]

Octopus Investments will place 130 roles at risk of redundancy as it moves to streamline operations - Audrius Venclova/iStockphoto A leading City fund manager is set to cut a fifth of its staff to keep pace with rapid AI changes upending the asset management industry. Octopus Investments, which manages nearly £15bn, is to put 130 roles at risk of redundancy in an effort to streamline its operations, City sources said. Most of the roles are understood to be back-office positions. The company employs just ...

Core Viewpoint - A securities class action has been filed against Apollo Global Management (APO) due to allegations of undisclosed ties between CEO Marc Rowan and Jeffrey Epstein, leading to a significant loss in market capitalization of over $12 billion [1][4]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit, titled Feldman v. Apollo Global Management, Inc., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and seeks to represent investors who acquired Apollo securities between May 10, 2021, and February 21, 2026 [2][3]. - Apollo's leadership is accused of making materially false statements regarding their relationship with Epstein, claiming they "never did any business" with him, which has been contradicted by recent reports [2][4]. Group 2: Financial Impact - Following the revelations, Apollo's stock price dropped more than 15% within three weeks, resulting in an approximate loss of $12 billion in market capitalization [4]. - The critical deadline for affected investors to seek appointment as Lead Plaintiff is May 1, 2026 [3]. Group 3: Investigative Reports - Investigative reports have indicated that CEO Marc Rowan and other executives had extensive discussions with Epstein regarding tax arrangements and potential inversion deals throughout the 2010s [4]. - Additional reports allege that Epstein received internal financial documents and facilitated meetings between Apollo executives and international private banks [4].

Core Viewpoint - Shares of FS KKR Capital Corp experienced a significant decline following Moody's downgrade of the private credit fund managed by KKR to junk status, raising investor concerns regarding asset quality and earnings performance [1] Company Summary - Moody's downgraded FS KKR Capital Corp's credit rating to junk status, indicating a deterioration in the quality of its assets [1] - The downgrade has intensified worries among investors about the company's weak earnings and overall financial health [1] Industry Summary - The downgrade reflects broader concerns in the private credit fund sector, particularly regarding asset quality and earnings stability [1] - Investor sentiment in the private credit market may be negatively impacted due to this downgrade, potentially affecting future fundraising and investment opportunities [1]

Market Overview - The markets are reacting to geopolitical developments in the Iran war, with stocks initially rallying after President Trump announced a five-day postponement of strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure [1] - Stocks are currently moving lower as the conflict continues, with the S&P 500 Index down -0.16% and the Nasdaq 100 Index down -0.50% [5] Economic Indicators - US Q4 nonfarm productivity remained unchanged at +1.8%, while unit labor costs were revised upward to +4.4% from +2.8%, exceeding expectations of +3.6% [2] - The March S&P manufacturing PMI unexpectedly rose +0.8 to 52.4, surpassing expectations of a decline to 51.5 [2] - The March Richmond Fed manufacturing survey rose +10 to a 13-month high of 0, better than expectations of -8 [2] Oil Market Dynamics - Crude oil prices remain elevated, with WTI crude up more than +4% today, driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East [4][15] - The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that the Iran conflict is disrupting 7.5% of global oil supply, with an expected cut of 8 million barrels per day this month [6] - The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has significantly impacted oil and gas flows, with over 40 energy sites across nine countries in the Middle East severely damaged [6] Stock Movements - Energy producers are experiencing gains, with companies like Marathon Petroleum and APA Corp up more than +5% [15] - Software companies are underperforming, with Atlassian down more than -6% and Salesforce down more than -4% [12] - Cryptocurrency-exposed stocks are also declining, with Coinbase Global down more than -8% [13] European Market Insights - European government bond yields are rising, with the 10-year German bund yield up +1.8 bp to 3.023% [9] - The Eurozone March S&P manufacturing PMI unexpectedly rose +0.6 to 51.4, indicating stronger-than-expected expansion [10]

Core Insights - T. Rowe Price is utilizing its extensive private equity experience to provide active ETF investors with access to key companies in artificial intelligence, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Databricks [1][2] Active ETF Strategy - The T. Rowe Price Technology ETF (TTEQ) may uniquely hold both Databricks and Anthropic, showcasing the firm's capability to participate in late-stage funding rounds, which differentiates its active management approach in the ETF market [2] - The firm combines private companies with public semiconductor manufacturers like Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM), as well as cloud providers like Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) and international firms like Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) and Shopify Inc. (SHOP) [3] Differentiation in Active Management - Access to private companies like OpenAI highlights how active strategies can provide exposure that passive index funds cannot replicate, which is increasingly valuable as active ETFs become integral to advisor portfolios [4] - T. Rowe Price has partnered with Goldman Sachs to create multi-manager, risk-based model portfolios on Morgan Stanley's unified managed account platform, addressing advisor demand for a diversified approach [5] Advisor Support and Cost Reduction - The firm is facilitating the adoption of active strategies by eliminating cost barriers, offering the T. Rowe Price Active Core U.S. Equity ETF (TACU) and the T. Rowe Price Active Core International Equity ETF (TACN) with 0% expense ratios for the first 13 months until January 30, 2027 [7] Income Generation Strategies - T. Rowe Price is responding to income demand with the T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Premium Income ETF (TCAL), which writes covered calls on low-volatility stocks, aiming to generate high income while maintaining portfolio stability [8] - In fixed income, the firm critiques the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index for concentrating risk inefficiently, noting that 75% of credit risk is derived from just 25% of the index [9] Performance Insights - Better returns have been observed in sectors outside the aggregate index over the past three to five years, with the T. Rowe Price Total Return ETF (TOTR) and the T. Rowe Price Multi-Sector Income ETF (TMSF) targeting these stronger-performing sectors [10]

TORONTO, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middlefield Limited is pleased to announce that Income Plus Class ETF Series (TSX: MIPC) (the “Fund”) distributions for March 2026 will be payable to unitholders of the Fund as follows: Record DatePayable DateDistribution Per Trust UnitMarch 31, 2026April 15, 2026$0.031 About Middlefield Founded in 1979, Middlefield is an income focused asset manager with offices in Toronto, Canada and London, England. Our investment team has developed a disciplined investment pr ...