January 2026 – Page 17 – Finance Updates

El Pollo Loco’s 2014 IPO: How Fast-Casual Moves Shaped Its Restaurant Growth Strategy

Americas Firms Restaurants and Other Eating Places

El Pollo Loco filed for a 2014 IPO and priced...

At the time it had roughly 401 restaurants ac...

The chain marketed fire-grilled chicken as a ...

The IPO followed improving performance and ca...

DigitalBridge’s AI Edge: Power Capacity Fuels Strong Fee Growth, But Risks Mount

Global FYI Finance and Insurance

DigitalBridge is scaling its fee-based model,...

Its key moat is secured power capacity (~21 G...

Fee-earning equity under management reached $...

Large projects and acquisitions expand data-c...

KeyBanc Downgrades Cleveland-Cliffs: Valuation Peaks, Free Cash Flow Under Pressure

Americas Markets Primary Metal Manufacturing

KeyBanc downgraded Cleveland-Cliffs to Sector...

The firm sees near-term headwinds from higher...

Upside drivers like auto contract wins, impro...

At roughly 11x 2026 EV/EBITDA, KeyBanc argues...

Blüm Holdings’ Turnaround Under Threat: Revenue Gains Face Liquidity Crisis

Americas Firms Other Investment Pools and Funds

The WSJ link appears inaccessible, and the an...

Revenue rose from about $2.2M in Q1 2025 to $...

Losses persist as store openings, acquisition...

Liquidity is the central risk, with under ~$0...

Chinese AI Stocks to Drive Gains Through 2026 Amid Strong Earnings Outlook

Asia Forecast Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage

Banks expect Chinese AI-linked stocks to keep...

Julius Baer targets Hang Seng around 29,500 a...

Citibank sees AI beneficiaries in internet an...

Key risks include overheated AI capex with un...

xFusion IPO 2026: Can China’s State-Backed AI Server Powerhouse Sustain Growth Amid Sector Hype?

Asia Markets Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing

xFusion, a Huawei-spun China server maker, hi...

The Henan-based firm is China’s top AI server...

It was valued near US$9 billion in 2023 and i...

The move fits China’s push for tech self-reli...

FTI Consulting Elevates Alex Wong & Enqing Wang to Senior Managing Directors in Asia

Asia Firms Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

FTI Consulting promoted Alex Wong (Hong Kong)...

Wong adds two decades of investment banking a...

Wang brings 12+ years in business transformat...

The moves align with FTI’s broader build-out ...

How BOCHK’s Advisory Model Evolves with AI, Generations & Cross-Border Wealth

Asia Firms Depository Credit Intermediation

BOC Hong Kong is shifting from static risk bu...

It is scaling personalisation with AI-driven ...

Integrated propositions such as FamilyMAX, Ju...

Execution risks include regulatory complexity...

China’s 2025 Investment Banking Fees Rebound: Trends in M&A, ECM & DCM

Asia Markets Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage

China’s 2025 investment-banking fees rebounde...

Debt capital markets dominated with roughly U...

China-involved M&A rose about 63% to US$474bn...

Cross-border activity stayed subdued, with in...

Revolut’s €1B Bet on Paris: Banking Licence, HQ Shift & Regulatory Strategy Explained

Europe Firms Depository Credit Intermediation

Revolut will open a Western Europe headquarte...

It plans to invest over €1 billion in France ...

Revolut will apply for a French banking licen...

The move reflects France’s rapid customer gro...