Bloomberg Businessweek

ConnectOne Bancorp delivered an 8% increase in adjusted pre-provision net revenue in its most recent quarter, reflecting margin expansion and operating efficiency. Bloomberg Intelligence notes that management tempered loan-growth expectations for 2026 to 3-5% from 5% vs. estimates of 5.5%, and expects net interest margin to exit 2026 at 3.35-3.4% vs. consensus' 3.45%.

Frank Sorrentino, Founder and CEO of ConnectOne Bank discusses the state of regional and local banks as Santander snaps up Webster for $12 billion in a push for US expansion. Sorrentino says smaller banks benefit from consolidation as clients move from firm to firm and bank product options change. He also discusses the state of the consumer and the housing market as the Trump administration mulls different housing-related proposals centered around affordability. Frank speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.

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Bitcoin tumbled below $63,000 as the unwinding of leveraged bets and broader market turbulence deepened a selloff that has wiped out all of the gains since President Donald Trump’s election set off a speculative rush into cryptocurrencies. 

The token fell as much as 14% Thursday to $62,267, the lowest since October 2024. The rout has erased half of Bitcoin’s value since it reached a record four months ago and has spread to other tokens, related ETFs and companies like Strategy Inc. that hold vast sums of coins.

The downturn has marked an abrupt retreat from Bitcoin’s meteoric rise through much of last year, when the return of the crypto-friendly Republican to the White House sent investors piling into such tokens and the Wall Street vehicles that have sprouted up around them. The market started cracking this month as rising geopolitical tensions sent tremors across global financial markets and curbed risk taking. That sparked Bitcoin’s precipitous decline from mid-January and set off a self-reinforcing cycle of selling as funds liquidated assets to meet redemptions and unwind leveraged bets.

The slide has echoes of the one in 2022, when prices retreated sharply from the surge seen during the easy-money era of the pandemic as the Federal Reserve tightened monetary policy. It has already taken a toll on intermediaries like the exchanges Coinbase Global Inc., whose shares have tumbled more than 30% this year, and Gemini Space Station Inc., which said it plans to cut up to 25% of its workforce and wind down operations in the UK, European Union and Australia.

Today's show features:

• Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize Winning Economist and Research Professor at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center, on his latest Substack column about the dive in the price of Bitcoin and broader market for cryptocurrencies
• Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity Investments, on the investing landscape and on whether the recent market downturn is a sign of what’s to come.
• Bloomberg Opinion Senior Executive Editor Tim O’Brien on his column examining the potential national security risks of the United Arab Emirates seeking deeper access to advanced American semiconductors
• James Cakmak, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Clockwise Capital, on quarterly earnings from Amazon

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Amazon said it plans to spend billions more than expected on data centers, chips and other equipment, fueling investor concerns that the company’s massive bet on artificial intelligence will take longer to pay off than anticipated.The company reported $39.5 billion on property and equipment expenses in the fourth quarter, topping estimates by almost $5 billion, and said its capital expenditures would reach $200 billion this year. Bloomberg Businessweek Daily hosts Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec speak with: Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst for E-Commerce and Athleisure Poonam Goyal and James Cakmak, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer at Clockwise Capita

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Jenny Rooke, Ph.D., is the founder and Managing Director of Genoa Ventures. She leverages her unique toolkit of genetics domain expertise, strategic business acumen, and venture investing to launch and empower the next generation of category-defying companies at the convergence of technology and biology. Dr. Rooke has nearly two decades of investing experience, beginning at Fidelity Biosciences in 2006 as a Kauffman Fellow.

Coming off the annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in January, Dr. Rooke says she's encouraged by new scientific tools in development as well as the broader tailwinds for the biotech sector. She discusses her takeaways from the conference and the importance of emerging specialties in so-called “precision medicine” with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.

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Alphabet Inc. shares slipped after the company reported fourth-quarter revenue that beat expectations but said it plans to spend far more than investors expected in 2026.

The Google parent said it will spend $175 billion to $185 billion this year, compared with the $119.5 billion analysts expected. The company’s fourth-quarter sales, excluding partner payouts, were $97.23 billion, surpassing the $95.2 billion expected on average by analysts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said the investments are paying off. “We’re seeing our AI investments and infrastructure drive revenue and growth across the board,” he said Wednesday in the statement. “Search saw more usage than ever before, with AI continuing to drive an expansionary moment.” Google Cloud revenue was $17.7 billion, beating the $16.2 billion analysts expected.

Google has raced to reinvent its business for the AI age, working to keep consumers in the habit of going to its search page even when they could also go to chatbots from rivals like OpenAI. The company has quickly improved its Gemini model and integrated it throughout its products — an effort that has required massive investment in data centers and chips for model improvement and cloud customers.

The industry has leaned on Google’s progress. Google is supplying up to one million of its specialized AI chips to Anthropic, cementing Google’s position as a key infrastructure provider in the AI space. Gemini will also be a provider of AI for Siri on Apple Inc.’s iPhones. The Gemini app has 750 million monthly active users.

Today's show features:

• Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Global Head of Technology Research Mandeep Singh and reacts to quarterly earnings from Alphabet
• Dan Ives, Global Head of Technology Research at Wedbush Securities, on Alphabet earnings and why he sees the world's biggest software companies weathering the storm brought on by artificial intelligence
• Bloomberg Economics Chief Geoeconomics Analyst Jennifer Welch on Wednesday’s call between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, and strained talks between the US and Iran
• Axel Merk, President and Chief Investment Officer of Merk Investments, on the precious metals trade and the potential market impact of a Kevin Warsh-led Federal Reserve

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Driivz, a company owned by publicly-traded Vontier, is a global software supplier to electric-vehicle charging operators and service providers. It aims to accelerate the plug-in EV industry’s ongoing transformation using a cloud-based platform that spans EV charging operations, energy management, advanced billing capabilities and driver self-service tools.

Shiri Levi-Laor was appointed on January 14 as the new Chief Executive Officer of Driivz. She joined the firm at the start of 2025, previously serving as Chief Operating Officer. She discusses her company's technology offerings and the EV market outlook amid recent sales slumps at Tesla and China's BYD. Shiri speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

A tech selloff dragged down stocks from near-record levels amid a rotation into more economically sensitive industries. A flare-up in geopolitical risks lifted oil while gold bounced after a historic rout. Bitcoin hit the lowest since President Donald Trump’s election victory.

The plunge in software makers weighed on trading as Anthropic’s automation tool heightened concerns their core businesses are at risk. The S&P 500 fell 0.8% and the Nasdaq 100 slid 1.6%. In late hours, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. gave a disappointing forecast. Energy firms joined crude higher as the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone headed toward an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

Despite losses in major benchmarks, most shares in the S&P 500 actually rose. FedEx Corp. - an economic barometer - extended a record-breaking rally. Walmart Inc. topped $1 trillion.

Bets on AI companies have dominated the US equity market for three years, but a growing number of investors are now wagering that run, led by the “Magnificent Seven” megacaps, is giving way to broader market participation. In fact, a violent rotation has taken place in 2026, with value shares far outpacing growth.

Today's show features:

• Bloomberg News Senior Editor, Equities Americas Eric Weiner on the Tuesday trade and Wall Street’s rising jitters centered around AI’s impact on software companies
• Neil Dutta, Partner and Head of Economics at Renaissance Macro Research, on the US monetary policy outlook and President Donald Trump choosing Kevin Warsh as his nominee to lead the Federal Reserve
• Bloomberg News Real Estate Reporter Patrick Clark on homebuilders’ plan for a massive program to develop "Trump Homes" to address the US affordability crisis
• Jaime Magyera, Managing Director, Head of US Wealth Advisory and Head of Retirement at BlackRock, on key investing and retirement planning trends

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Brazilian fintech company PicPay launched in 2012 as a digital wallet and now operates as a full-service digital bank with nearly 66 million customers. Controlled by the Batista family, owners of JBS, PicPay has posted strong revenue and profit growth, becoming one of the first major Brazilian companies to tap US equity markets since Nu Holdings’ blockbuster IPO in 2021. The offering was led by Citigroup, Bank of America, and Royal Bank of Canada. 

Eduardo Chedid is the CEO of PicPay. He has more than 20 years of experience in the electronic payment sector and has helped build PicPay into Brazil's third-largest digital bank. Eduardo discusses to firm's US market debut, and prospects for continued growth in the fintech sector with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.
Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

Elon Musk plans to merge SpaceX with xAI, according to people familiar with the matter, in a deal that encompasses the billionaire’s increasingly costly ambitions to dominate artificial intelligence and space exploration.

The deal was announced in a memo on Monday, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The combined company is expected to price the shares at about $527 each, and would have a valuation of $1.25 trillion, some of the people said.
Representatives for SpaceX and xAI didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bloomberg News earlier reported on the discussions. SpaceX is planning an initial public offering that could raise as much as $50 billion, Bloomberg News has reported. It also discussed a possible merger with Tesla.

The deal brings together two of the largest closely held companies in the world. XAI raised funds at a $230 billion valuation in January, while SpaceX was set to go ahead with a share sale in December at about a valuation of about $800 billion, Bloomberg reported, and is exploring a possible IPO.

It also further entangles Musk’s various business ventures. The billionaire acquired social media platform Twitter in late 2022, renamed it X, then merged the site with his artificial intelligence startup xAI in a $33 billion deal. XAI, which also operates chatbot Grok, is an expensive operation, burning around $1 billion a month in service of its stated ambition to gain “a deeper understanding of our universe.” A merger with SpaceX pools capital, talent, access to compute — and blurs corporate boundaries.

The tie-up may crystallize Musk’s vision to put data centers in space to do complex computing for AI. SpaceX is requesting permission to launch as many as a million satellites into the Earth’s orbit for the plan, according to a filing Friday.

Today's show features:

• Gil Luria, Managing Director and Head of Technology Research at DA Davidson, breaks down quarterly earnings from Palantir and and Elon Musk's plans to merge SpaceX with xAI
• Bloomberg Tech Co-host Ed Ludlow on how Elon Musk aims to dominate both artificial intelligence and space exploration
• Jayati Bharadwaj, Director of FX Strategy at TD Securities, on the recent weakening in the US dollar
• Paisley Nardini, Head of Multi-Asset Solutions at Simplify Asset Management, on why she sees the rotation trade into value stocks taking hold

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Aon's initial 2026 margin guidance is slightly better than analyst estimates, on the heels of a solid fourth quarter. Bloomberg Intelligence notes that organic growth was in line with Wall Street as upside in reinsurance offset a miss in health. The 2025 result of 6% is close to the previous three years but better than peer Marsh. The consolidated adjusted operating margin beat consensus and expanded from a year earlier making the 2025 result also better than estimates.

Edmund Reese, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Aon, discusses the key risks facing the firm in 2026 and how it is positioning itself to better serve clients and stakeholders amid global uncertainty. Edmund speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.

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