You can find original article here WealthManagement. Subscribe to our free daily WealthManagement newsletters. AI-powered life insurance brokerage Modern Life has announced a $20 million Series A funding round led by Thrive Capital, with participation from New York Life Ventures, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Allegis. This brings the company’s total raised to $35 million. The capital will be put toward expanding strategic partnerships nationwide and developing its proprietary AI-driven platfor ...

Core Insights - OFA Group's real-world-asset platform, Hearth, is on track for a full release by late 2025 or early Q1 2026, designed to tokenize and manage income-producing assets on a blockchain-native infrastructure [1][7] - The platform will support various digital asset structures and is engineered for both internal and external issuers, ensuring a standardized and compliant process for asset tokenization [2][5] Development Progress - Hearth Labs is finalizing the smart-contract deployment layer, which includes issuance contracts, compliance, and asset lifecycle management, currently undergoing an independent audit for security and reliability [3][6] - The platform's foundational contracts are responsible for token minting, asset-level controls, and reporting, with security auditing as the final step before beta testing [4][6] Market Positioning - CEO Larry Wong highlighted Hearth's role in modernizing financial infrastructure by integrating valuation, compliance, and lifecycle management, aiming for broad participation from institutions and investors [4] - COO Thomas Gaffney noted that Hearth is designed to support both OFA and external partners, with plans to accept proposals for tokenizing various real-world assets upon launch [5][7] Future Outlook - Closed beta testing is expected in Q4 2025, with a public rollout targeted for late 2025 to early Q1 2026, and OFA Asset Management plans to issue its first RWA products shortly after the platform goes live [7]

Core Insights - X Financial reported its Q3 2025 financial results, highlighting a challenging operating environment with a decline in loan origination and increased delinquency rates [4][6] - Total revenue for Q3 2025 was $275.5 million (RMB 1,961.0 million), reflecting a year-over-year growth of 23.9% but a quarter-over-quarter decline of 13.7% [6][4] - The company emphasized its focus on risk control and maintaining credit quality amid rising operating costs and credit-related provisions [4][6] Financial Performance - Total net revenue for Q3 2025 was RMB 1,960.9 million, a decrease of 13.7% from Q2 2025 but an increase of 23.9% year-over-year [6][4] - Net income for Q3 2025 was RMB 421.2 million, up 12.1% year-over-year but down 20.2% sequentially [6][4] - Non-GAAP adjusted net income for Q3 2025 was RMB 438.2 million, reflecting a 1.0% increase year-over-year but a 26.1% decline from Q2 2025 [6][4] Loan Origination and Delinquency Rates - The total loan amount facilitated and originated in Q3 2025 was RMB 33.64 billion (~$4.73 billion), an 18.7% increase year-over-year but a 13.7% decrease quarter-over-quarter [6][4] - The 31–60 days delinquency rate increased to 1.85% from 1.02% in the same period of 2024, while the 91–180 days delinquency rate rose to 3.52% from 3.22% [6][4] Business Outlook - X Financial expects Q4 2025 loan originations to be between RMB 21.0 billion and RMB 23.0 billion, with full-year 2025 loan originations projected at RMB 128.8 billion to RMB 130.8 billion [7] - The company has repurchased approximately 4.26 million ADSs for a total consideration of approximately $67.9 million under its share repurchase program, indicating confidence in its long-term growth outlook [7][6]

Intuit forecast second-quarter revenue growth above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, a sign of growing demand for its artificial intelligence-powered financial management tools. ...

Core Insights - Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (FIS) has made a significant advancement to its FIS Asset Finance solution with a new SaaS-based cloud offering tailored for the U.S. consumer auto finance market, enhancing lifecycle support for loans and leases [1][8] - The company's shares experienced a slight decline of 0.8% on November 19 [1] Group 1: Product Enhancement - The upgraded FIS Asset Finance solution automates manual workflows, improving operational efficiency and reducing burdens, while providing complete lifecycle management from origination to remarketing within a single ecosystem [2][8] - The API-driven flexibility and digital-first approach allow lenders to offer personalized borrower experiences, enabling seamless self-service access for consumers [3][8] Group 2: Market Context - The enhancement addresses rising customer expectations, regulatory changes, increasing operational costs, and challenges posed by legacy infrastructure in the asset finance and auto lending sectors [4][8] - The upgradation is expected to lead to increased utilization of the FIS Asset Finance solution, potentially driving revenue growth for the company [5] Group 3: Company Performance - FIS reported a 4.5% year-over-year increase in total revenues for the first nine months of 2025 [5] - The company continues to invest in advanced technologies and expand its offerings through software improvements and strategic acquisitions [6] Group 4: Stock Performance - FIS shares have declined by 9.9% over the past three months, while the industry has seen a larger decline of 17.7% [7]

Core Insights - Direxion has expanded its single-stock ETF offerings by introducing five new funds focused on Oracle, Coinbase, Robinhood, and Intel, enhancing its existing lineup to over 50 ETFs [1][2] Group 1: New Fund Offerings - The new funds provide traders with additional exposure to specific stocks without requiring a margin account, and they also offer inverse exposure for tactical hedging or standalone short trades [2] - The newly introduced funds include: - Direxion Daily ORCL Bull 2X and Bear 1X ETFs (ORCU/ORCS): 200% bullish or 100% inverse exposure to Oracle's stock - Direxion Daily COIN Bull 2X ETF (CONX): 200% bullish exposure to Coinbase stock - Direxion Daily HOOD Bull 2X ETF (HODU): 200% bullish exposure to Robinhood stock - Direxion Daily INTC Bull 2X ETF (LINT): 200% bullish exposure to Intel stock [6] Group 2: Market Trends and Demand - There is increasing investor interest in cryptocurrencies, with firms like Coinbase and Robinhood experiencing robust demand from traders [3] - Direxion aims to provide tools for short-term, active traders to express high-conviction views amid volatile market conditions [3] Group 3: Sector Exposure Options - For traders looking to mitigate concentration risk from single stock exposure, Direxion offers sector-specific products, such as the Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares (SOXL) and the Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X ETF (CURE) [4] - Direxion has also launched the Titans Leveraged & Inverse ETFs suite, targeting the top five companies in a sector with equal weight allocations, allowing for more targeted exposure compared to traditional cap-weighted indices [5]

Core Insights - CME Group and CF Benchmarks are launching two new bitcoin volatility indices on December 2, 2025, namely the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index - Real Time (BVX) and the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index - Settlement (BVXS) [1][2] Group 1: Indices Overview - The new indices provide forward-looking, market-based measures of expected bitcoin price fluctuations over a 30-day period [2] - These indices are not tradable futures products but serve as indicators of implied volatility in CME Group's regulated options on Bitcoin futures [2] Group 2: Market Context - In 2025, nearly $46 billion in equivalent notional value was traded in CME Group's Bitcoin options, establishing them as a benchmark for assessing market views on bitcoin volatility [3] - The launch of these indices is seen as a significant milestone for the crypto asset class, reflecting the increasing sophistication of tools available for managing risk in the bitcoin options market [3] Group 3: Calculation and Publication - The BVX is calculated and published every second during trading hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central, while the BVXS is published at 4 p.m. London time [3]

Core Viewpoint - Waton Financial Limited has announced a strategic partnership with Panda AI to launch the Global Competition for AI Agents in Securities Trading, aimed at enhancing AI capabilities and establishing a global platform for AI trading talent [1][2][3] Group 1: Partnership and Competition Overview - The partnership will allow participants to develop and deploy sophisticated AI trading agents in live markets, differing from traditional simulation-based competitions [2] - Waton will provide institutional-grade trading execution infrastructure and market access, while Panda AI will offer AI development support and multi-model framework technology [2] - The inaugural stage of the competition will launch in the Greater China region, with plans for global market expansion [2] Group 2: Strategic Goals and Vision - The collaboration aims to accelerate the identification and commercialization of advanced AI trading strategies, reinforcing Waton's competitive position as a bridge between traditional finance and AI-native trading [3] - The competition is expected to serve as a talent funnel and proof-of-concept engine for high-performing autonomous trading strategies, enhancing Waton's competitive edge in the AI finance market [3] - The partnership is anticipated to open new avenues for platform monetization and institutional client engagement, deepening Waton's AI agent capabilities [3] Group 3: Company Background - Waton Financial Limited is a holding company registered in the British Virgin Islands, primarily operating through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Hong Kong, offering comprehensive financial services including securities brokerage and asset management [4]

Core Viewpoint - Block Inc. (NYSE:EXZ) has shown strong financial growth potential, leading to a significant increase in stock price, with a 7.56% jump on Wednesday, breaking a six-day losing streak [1]. Financial Projections - By 2028, Block Inc. anticipates gross profit growth in the mid-teens annually, reaching $15.8 billion, with adjusted operating income increasing by 30% per annum to $4.6 billion, and adjusted earnings per share projected to grow in the low 30% range to $5.50 [2]. - For the next year, Block Inc. targets a 17% year-on-year gross profit growth to $11.98 billion, with adjusted operating income and adjusted earnings per share expected to rise by over 30% to $2.7 billion and $3.20, respectively [3]. Cash Flow and Share Repurchase - The company expects its non-GAAP cash flow to represent 20% of gross profit, amounting to $2.40 billion [4]. - Block Inc. announced an increase in its share repurchase program to $5 billion, with $1.1 billion remaining to spend as of the third quarter [4]. Strategic Focus - The company emphasizes its commitment to enhancing product velocity across its platforms, Square and Cash App, to better serve customers and integrate them into the modern economy [5]. - Block Inc. highlights the strength of its connected ecosystems and its ability to deliver compounding growth while expanding margins, with ongoing investments in innovation to sustain performance and create long-term value for customers and shareholders [6].

Core Points - Options Technology expands its Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Direct Bill capabilities to Latin America and the Caribbean, marking the sixth global region of coverage [1][2][4] - The expansion aims to provide global financial clients with seamless access to Microsoft 365 and Azure services, supported by localized billing and regional expertise [2][4] - Options is already utilizing this capability by offering CSP Direct Bill services to customers in the Cayman Islands [3] Company Strategy - The expansion reinforces Options' commitment to delivering secure, enterprise-class cloud services, essential for financial institutions diversifying their global operations [4][5] - Options aims to support clients' growth with best-in-class technology and expert local support, enhancing its position as a Tier 1 Microsoft Solutions Partner [2][4] Operational Enhancements - The new direct billing capabilities complement Options' 24/7 local support model, advancing its mission to empower capital markets through innovation and security [5] - Options continues to grow its global footprint with office expansions in various cities, including Dubai, Sydney, Paris, Toronto, and Chicago [5] Recent Achievements - The announcement follows Options' attainment of Microsoft specializations for Private Cloud and Threat Detection, as well as the launch of PrivateMind, an AI environment focused on data sovereignty and performance [6]