Strategic Direction - Ambac is transitioning into a pure-play specialty insurance platform, aiming to be the world's leading MGA Specialty Insurance platform[6] - The company is implementing a new target operating model to drive operational efficiencies and reduce operating expenses[14, 17] - Ambac is focusing on a "build and buy" strategy, demonstrated by acquisitions like Xchange Benefits, All Trans, Capacity Marine, Riverton Insurance Agency, Tara Hill Insurance services, Beat Capital Partners, Pivix and the proposed acquisition of ArmadaCare[24, 25] ArmadaCare Acquisition - Ambac proposes to acquire ArmadaCare from SiriusPoint for $250 million, representing a 138x LTM EBITDA multiple as of June 30, 2025[32, 51] - ArmadaCare's Annual Premiums in Force (APIF) as of June 30, 2025, is $148 million, with a '22-'24 Premium CAGR of 8% and an average EBITDA Margin of 46%[35] - The acquisition will be financed through a combination of cash and new debt, including a $100 million Term Loan A and a $20 million Revolving Credit Facility[23, 51] Financial Performance & Projections - Insurance Distribution Premiums Placed increased from $117 million in 2021 to $493 million in 2024 and $831 million LTM 2Q'25[25] - Pro Forma Insurance Distribution Revenue is $979 million LTM 2Q'25[25] - The company estimates Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA to Ambac to be over $80 million in 2024, with an aspiration for significant growth by 2028[29]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q2 was reported at $18 million, down 13% year-over-year, but showed over 20% sequential growth from Q1 to Q2 [4][13] - Adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed to $1.95 million, an improvement from $3.3 million in Q1 and $9.3 million a year ago [2][4] - Net income was $0.2 million in Q2, compared to a net loss of $12.2 million in the same quarter last year [4][18] - Cost of revenue improved to 51% from 67% year-over-year, reflecting better unit economics [4][18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Insurance revenue grew from 11% to 14% of total revenue year-over-year, while wealth increased from 11% to 13% [4] - Combined, insurance and wealth contributed 27% of total revenue in Q2, up from 22% in the same period last year [4] - Credit card revenue decreased slightly from 62% to 61% as part of a strategic shift towards higher-margin verticals [4] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a member base of 8.6 million, indicating strong market penetration [3] - The company has over 260 provider partnerships, enhancing its market position and revenue potential [3] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for durable, profitable growth by prioritizing quality over quantity and focusing on higher-margin verticals [2] - Strategic initiatives include expanding insurance and wealth offerings, leveraging AI for operational efficiency, and maintaining cost discipline [3][5] - The company plans to achieve 5% to 10% adjusted EBITDA margins over the next two to three years, driven by improved revenue mix and AI-enabled operating leverage [3] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in achieving positive adjusted EBITDA in the second half of 2025, supported by strong sequential growth and strategic initiatives [2][3] - The current market environment is viewed positively for fintechs that combine profitable growth with visible catalysts [3] - The company is focused on deepening member engagement and expanding its offerings in insurance and wealth management [4][13] Other Important Information - The company is actively integrating AI into its operations, which is expected to lower customer acquisition costs and improve service efficiency [7][10] - The company is pursuing a regulatory-first approach in its digital asset collaborations, ensuring compliance while expanding its offerings [10][12] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on AI initiatives and their impact? - Management detailed the use of AI in customer acquisition, support, and competitive intelligence, leading to lower service costs and improved conversion rates [7] Question: What are the key growth drivers for 2026? - Management highlighted the scaling of insurance and wealth, improved conversion rates, and AI-driven efficiencies as key growth levers [10] Question: What initiatives will restore revenue to last year's levels? - Management emphasized scaling higher-margin verticals, deepening member engagement, and leveraging commercial momentum as strategies to restore revenue [12][13] Question: What factors contributed to the improvement in net loss and EBITDA? - Management identified a shift towards higher-margin products, improved unit economics, and cost discipline as key drivers of the improvement [18]

Core Insights - MoneyHero Limited reported a net income of US$0.2 million in Q2 2025, a significant improvement from a net loss of US$(12.2) million in Q2 2024, indicating a successful pivot towards profitable growth [2][12][8] - Revenue for Q2 2025 was US$18.0 million, down 13% year-over-year, attributed to a strategic shift towards higher-margin products and a reduction in lower-margin credit card volumes [8][16] - The company’s focus on higher-margin Insurance and Wealth verticals has resulted in these segments accounting for 27% of total revenue, up from 22% in the same period last year [9][8] Financial Performance - Adjusted EBITDA loss improved by 79% year-over-year to US$(2.0) million, reflecting a stronger revenue mix and operational efficiencies [2][12][8] - Cost of revenue decreased by 34% year-over-year to US$9.1 million, with gross margins improving significantly as cost of revenue fell to 51% of total revenue from 67% [10][16] - Total operating costs and expenses, excluding net foreign exchange differences, fell 37% year-over-year to US$20.6 million, driven by cost optimization initiatives [11][16] Operational Highlights - Group membership on the platform grew by 33% year-over-year to 8.6 million, indicating increased user engagement [2][16] - The company sourced 408,000 applications and had 173,000 approved applications in Q2 2025, showcasing the effectiveness of its product offerings [17][16] - Monthly unique users reached 5.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025, reflecting a stable user base [22][16] Strategic Initiatives - MoneyHero is embedding AI across its operations to enhance customer acquisition efficiency and improve service quality [4][6] - The company plans to scale its higher-margin Insurance and Wealth verticals, aiming for these segments to comprise approximately 30% of Group revenue by the end of 2025 [6][12] - The launch of Hong Kong's Credit Hero Club in Q4 2025 is expected to deepen customer engagement and drive higher conversion rates [6][12]

AI's Impact on Travel - AI 被视为旅游业的生存威胁和机遇，Expedia 认为 AI 可以帮助旅客制定完美的旅行计划 [2][3] - Expedia 利用 AI 更具预测性、主动性和个性化，帮助旅客创造美好的旅程，同时保持人性化服务 [4][5] - Expedia 密切关注消费者行为的变化，与大型科技公司合作，确保在旅客搜索方式改变时，能够快速提供所需信息 [6] - 尽管 AI 概述可能导致点击量减少，但带来的流量质量更高 [7] Business Performance & Strategy - Expedia 重视业务的平衡和健康发展，消费者业务、B2B 业务和利润率都在增长，同时投资于 AI [8][9] - B2B 业务增长迅速，帮助全球酒店合作伙伴 [9] - Expedia 在过去一年中致力于重新定位品牌、调整忠诚度计划，尤其是在美国以外的地区实现增长 [8] Travel Trends & Insurance - 高端旅游市场表现出很强的韧性，而低端市场的需求相对较弱 [13][14] - 美国机场第三季度的客流量同比增长，但来自美国以外的游客数量仍未达到去年同期水平 [14] - 旅游保险业务正在增长，因为旅客希望在预订时获得保障，以应对可能出现的问题 [10] - Expedia 正在 Verbo 上测试天气承诺保险，如果旅行期间下雨天数超过一定数量，保险就会生效 [11] Market Performance - Consumer discretionary sector 表现良好，本季度增长达到两位数，其中 Tesla 领涨，涨幅超过 30% [1] - Expedia 股价有望创下自 2023 年 12 月以来的最佳季度表现，投资者继续押注强劲的旅游需求 [1] - Arionics 的股票在过去 3 个月上涨了 37% [14]

Welcome back to Squawk on the Street. Consumer discretionary, one of the best performing sectors this quarter, up double digits. Tesla's going to lead that charge, up more than 30%.Online travel company Expedia not far behind. Those shares are on pace for their best quarter since December of 23 as investors continue to place some bets on strong travel demand. Joining us for more on that is our Contessa Brewer at the Skiff Global Conference with a special guest.Hey, Contessa. Yeah. So, Carl, what I'm hearing ...

Travel Insurance Focus - Travel insurance offers new ways to keep travelers safe [1]

Core Viewpoint - Admiral Group plc has appointed Paola Bonomo as an Independent Non-Executive Director effective from 12 May 2025, bringing extensive experience in strategy, digital technology, and transformation to the board [1][7]. Group 1: Experience and Background - Paola Bonomo has 14 years of experience in strategy consulting with McKinsey, focusing on technology and telecommunications [2]. - She has held operational leadership roles in digital at companies such as eBay, Vodafone, and Facebook, where she was the Global Marketing Solutions Regional Director for Southern Europe [2]. - Bonomo has served as a Non-Executive Director at AXA Assicurazioni S.p.A. from 2014 until April 2025, participating in various committees [3]. Group 2: Current Roles and Contributions - Currently, she is a Non-Executive Director at FAAC S.p.A. and Infrastrutture Wireless Italiane S.p.A. (INWIT), and serves as Vice Chair of Italian Angels for Growth [4]. - Bonomo has held recent Non-Executive Director roles at Telecom Italia, Crystal Peak Acquisition, and Piquadro S.p.A., with significant contributions in various committees [5]. Group 3: Educational Background - Paola Bonomo holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a degree in business administration from Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Italy [6]. Group 4: Strategic Importance - Mike Rogers, Chair of the Admiral Board, emphasized Bonomo's knowledge of the international financial services sector and her experience in digital transformation as valuable assets for the Group's strategy [7]. - Bonomo expressed her honor in joining Admiral and highlighted the company's focus on data to understand customer needs, aiming for long-term sustainable growth in the UK and Mainland Europe [8]. Group 5: Committee Involvement - Effective from 12 May 2025, Bonomo will join the Admiral Group Remuneration Committee, which will also include Karen Green (Chair), Justine Roberts, and Mike Brierley [8].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted EBITDA loss improved to $2,900,000 in Q4 2024, the best quarterly performance since going public, compared to losses of $6,400,000 in Q1, $9,300,000 in Q2, and $5,000,000 in Q3 [5][6] - Gross margin expanded by 25 percentage points year over year, while net loss narrowed to $18,800,000 from $94,300,000 during the same period last year [6] - Total revenue fell by 40% year over year to $15,700,000, driven by a strategic pivot towards high-margin products [12][13] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Insurance revenue grew by 40% to $8,200,000 in 2024, now accounting for a double-digit share of total revenue [8] - Wealth revenue surged by 138% to $8,500,000 in 2024, driven by deepening banking relationships and robust demand for investment products [8] - Revenue from insurance products increased by 10% year over year to $2,100,000, accounting for 14% of total revenue, compared to 7% during the same period last year [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Registered members reached 7,500,000, up 42% year on year, reflecting strong user engagement [6] - Approved applications grew 21% year over year to 767,000, indicating increasing user trust and robust demand [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to achieve $100,000,000 in revenue in 2025 and generate positive adjusted EBITDA in the second half of the year [6] - Focus on diversifying revenue mix towards high-margin products, lowering operating expenses, and improving operational efficiency [5] - Strategic pillars include consumer pull, conversion expertise, operating leverage, strong provider partnerships, and insurance brokerage [7][34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in regaining top-line growth momentum and highlighted the importance of a debt-free balance sheet and $42,500,000 in cash for future growth [10] - The company is positioned to capture a greater share of the large and growing addressable market in banking and insurance [10] - Management emphasized the commitment to becoming an AI-first organization, with several initiatives already underway to enhance operational efficiency [10][59] Other Important Information - The company has implemented a comprehensive reorganization to streamline operations and reduce costs, resulting in a 45% year-over-year decrease in employee-related expenses [46] - Marketing expenses increased in 2024 but were strategically focused on high-margin verticals, with a 23% reduction in marketing spend year over year in Q4 [50][52] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is the company's strategy to lower acquisition costs and leverage the growing registered membership base? - The company is focusing on customer segmentation and personalized marketing campaigns to lower customer acquisition costs, leveraging the growing member base for deeper engagement and monetization [21][22] Question: How much is the insurance revenue expected to contribute for FY 2025 and what will be the key drivers? - While specific revenue guidance is not provided, insurance is expected to become a more meaningful driver in 2025, with initiatives like a real-time car insurance platform and enhanced travel insurance offerings [25][26] Question: What is the capital allocation strategy given the current cash position? - The company maintains a disciplined approach to capital allocation, ensuring liquidity for operations while exploring growth opportunities that align with high-margin products and technology partnerships [31][32] Question: What markets are expected to drive growth in 2025? - Singapore and Hong Kong are identified as mature markets for simultaneous investment across strategic pillars, while the Philippines and Taiwan present emerging opportunities for growth [34][36] Question: Can you elaborate on the impact of the reorganization on cost structure and margins? - The restructuring has optimized the cost base and improved productivity, resulting in a significant reduction in employee-related expenses and enhanced operating leverage [46][47] Question: What are the plans for AI and automation, and their expected contributions? - The company is embedding AI into workflows to enhance operational efficiency, with initiatives in customer service and content creation already showing positive results [55][56] Question: How does the company plan to leverage the Nasdaq listing and improve stock performance? - The Nasdaq listing has enhanced credibility and provided flexibility for growth initiatives, with a focus on executing the efficiency strategy to drive revenue growth and profitability [64][65]