Close-up of an Intel processor chip with the company's logo on its metal lid, lit by cool white light in a clean laboratory.
    Alternative Investments

    Supreme Court's New 401(k) Lawsuit Hurdle: What Changes

    TL;DR: The Supreme Court is deciding how specific a 401(k) plaintiff must be when claiming a plan's investments underperformed. It is not deciding whether private equity can sit in a 401(k). If you h…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Close-up of glowing blue-lit AI accelerator modules with copper heat pipes and cabling in a futuristic data-centre server tray.
    Market Analysis

    US IPO Week Ahead: Calendar Is Empty Before Anthropic

    TL;DR: No US IPOs are scheduled for the week ahead, according to Renaissance Capital, while Anthropic reportedly targets a mid November listing and could file as early as Friday. The quiet calendar s…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens under a clear sky, with fans walking toward the gates and palm trees along the plaza.
    Alternative Investments

    Dolphins Minority Stake Sells at Record $12.5B Value

    TL;DR: Stephen Ross agreed to sell 2.1% of the Dolphins and related sports properties to EQT chairman Jean Eric Salata at a valuation slightly above $12.5 billion, per Sports Business Journal via Yah…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Three people seen from behind stand at a glass railing on a bright rooftop terrace, looking out over a mid-sized American city under a pale sky.
    Alternative Investments

    PACT Takes Minority Stake in Sterling Investment Partners

    TL;DR: PACT Capital Partners is taking a passive, non voting minority stake in Sterling Investment Partners, a middle market firm. Sterling says management and its investment process won't change. Th…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Close-up of a worn metal door lever on a clinic entrance, lit in gold against a dark navy corridor.
    Real Estate

    EQT Buys Stockbridge as Buenavista Takes Tiryaq Stake

    TL;DR: EQT AB announced on October 15, 2026 that it signed an agreement to acquire Stockbridge, which EQT describes as a leading U.S. real estate investment manager with approximately USD 16.5 billio…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Workers seen from behind beside a production line in a film manufacturing plant, with translucent plastic film running over rollers and a finished roll in the foreground.
    Alternative Investments

    Atlantic Ridge Buys Paragon Films for About $900M

    TL;DR: Atlantic Ridge Capital agreed on October 13, 2026 to buy Paragon Films for about $900 million, according to the company's press release . It is the firm's first deal. For anyone who has sold a…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Three shipping containers joined in a row, with one open side showing a humanoid robot packing a product inside a bright workshop bay.
    Angel Investing

    120ft Raises €576,000 in Angel Money for Robot Factories

    TL;DR: Swedish startup 120ft raised €576,000 from 22 angel investors on October 15, 2026 to build small factories where humanoid robots assemble, inspect and pack products for consumer brands. It's a…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    A bright, sterile laboratory aisle lined with sealed pods holding early prototypes, with a technician in a protective suit seen from behind walking toward the far end.
    Venture Capital

    Adams Street Launches AVNGR Venture and Growth Fund

    TL;DR: On October 13, 2026, Adams Street Partners announced the Adams Street Venture & Growth Fund, ticker AVNGR. Adams Street's release says the fund starts with $363.5 million in net assets fun…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Close-up of a shiny fuel pump nozzle in its holder at a sunlit petrol station, with blurred cars in the distance.
    Market Analysis

    September CPI Preview: Gasoline Lifts Headline to 3.6%

    TL;DR: A Wall Street Journal survey of forecasters, as reported by investinglive , sees headline CPI up about 0.6% for September on surging energy. That would lift the annual rate to 3.6% from 3.4%. …

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Two cooling towers at a nuclear power station release white vapor beside green fields, with electricity pylons running across the foreground in morning light.
    Alternative Investments

    Google's 890 MW Nuclear Deal and the Grid It Plugs Into

    TL;DR: Google signed a 20 year power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy on October 6, 2026. It funds upgrades at 11 nuclear units that add 890 megawatts to the PJM grid, backed by more than…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Close-up of polished steel turbine blades in a power plant, lit by a cool glow.
    Alternative Investments

    Google's 890 MW Constellation Deal: What Isn't Priced

    TL;DR: Google and Constellation Energy signed a 20 year power purchase agreement on October 6, 2026 to add 890 megawatts of nuclear capacity to the PJM grid through upgrades at 11 reactors in Illinoi…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    A radar mast and jammer unit on a gravel pad in a sunny desert, with small drones hovering in the sky above.
    Alternative Investments

    Army Awards $4.15B in Counter-Drone Contracts to 10 Firms

    TL;DR: The Army awarded 10 counter drone contracts with a combined $4.15 billion ceiling in late September, according to Defense One , but only about $50 million was obligated at award. The ceiling i…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Visitors seen from the back stand before a row of large abstract paintings in a busy art fair hall lit by a skylight.
    Alternative Investments

    Gen Z Now Outspends Every Art Collector Group

    TL;DR: Gen Z collectors averaged $347,460 on fine art in 2025, according to Ithaca Gallery's write up of the 2026 Art Basel and UBS survey, against $124,265 for all 3,100 wealthy respondents. The sur…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    A marble central bank building with a colonnaded front, lit in warm gold against a dark navy dusk sky, with an empty plaza and steps in the foreground.
    Market Analysis

    IMF Forecasts US Inflation at 3.6% in 2026, 2.8% in 2027

    TL;DR: The IMF now projects US headline inflation at 3.6% this year, two tenths of a point above its April forecast, easing to 2.8% in 2027, per El País English . Core inflation doesn't reach the Fed…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    An aerial view of Washington, D.C., showing the Capitol dome, the National Mall and nearby federal buildings in clear daylight.
    Market Analysis

    Federal Deficit Hits $2 Trillion in Fiscal 2026

    TL;DR: The Congressional Budget Office reported Thursday that the federal government ran a deficit of about $2 trillion in the fiscal year that ended September 30. CNN, via ABC17 reported that the ga…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    A futuristic circular boardroom table of pale metal under a ring of cool light, with one chair pulled back and a glass wall opening onto a city at dusk.
    Market Analysis

    Fed Turns Hawkish but Can Wait on the Next Hike

    TL;DR: Federal Reserve officials now lean toward more rate hikes, but the September minutes and recent speeches say they can wait for more data first. Markets price a pause at the October meeting and…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Close-up of gloved hands holding a small machined metal drone motor mount in a bright workshop, with blurred drone frames and robot parts behind.
    Startups

    Bloom Raises $3.6M Seed for Hardware Supply Chains

    TL;DR: Detroit based Bloom has raised $3.6 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by SNAK Venture Partners, citybiz reported . The company runs a business to business marketplace that helps firm…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read
    Silhouetted people in a futuristic lab stand facing a curved array of softly glowing spheres and light panels, each lit at a different intensity.
    Venture Capital

    Arena Raises $200M Series B at $3.1B Valuation

    TL;DR: Arena, the AI evaluation platform formerly called LMArena , raised a $200 million Series B at a $3.1 billion valuation, co led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Khosla Ventures. Arena says an…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    At dusk a gas-fired power plant with steaming stacks sits beyond rows of solar panels, with power lines leading toward a distant data centre campus under a navy sky edged with gold.
    Alternative Investments

    AI Data Centers Are Driving a Gas and Solar Power Rush

    TL;DR: Natural gas supplied 40% of the energy U.S. data centers used in 2024, ahead of renewables at 24%, according to the International Energy Agency , as relayed by The Athens Messenger . The bigge…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    Aerial view of a university campus with brick buildings, tree-lined paths and a green quad, with small figures of students walking across it.
    Alternative Investments

    Student Loan Forgiveness Is Taxable Again in 2026

    TL;DR: Federal student debt cancelled under income driven repayment is taxable income again from the 2026 tax year, after Congress let the 2021 exemption expire on December 31, 2025. Protect Borrower…

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··5 min read