Finance

What Fed Rate Cuts Mean to Finance Chiefs

Published

1 year ago

September 15, 2024

What Fed Rate Cuts Mean to Finance Chiefs

Welcome to CFO Briefing, a newsletter devoted to corporate finance and what leaders need to know. If this was forwarded to you, sign up here . This week’s highlights include a dive into what finance chiefs are saying and doing ahead of the Fed’s expected rate cut. Plus, the CFO of China-owned agricultural firm Syngenta discusses a change in customers’ purchasing patterns, IPO plans, tariffs and more.

But first…

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Finance

SB Financial Group Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

Published

36 minutes ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

SB Financial Group Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

SB Financial Group (NASDAQ:SBFG) management said fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results reflected continued execution across the franchise, with CEO Mark Klein calling it “one of the strongest earnings quarters and year in our history” despite ongoing pressure on mortgage activity across the indu

Finance

MUFG Seeks Stake In Indian Finance Company

Published

13 hours ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

MUFG Seeks Stake In Indian Finance Company

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Japan’s largest bank by assets and market cap, is close to buying a 20% minority stake in India’s Shriram Finance Limited (SFL), for an investment of $4.4 billion.

SFL is one of the largest non-banking financial companies (NBFC), with assets under management totalling approximately $31 billion.

The negotiations are ongoing, and the agreement is not yet confirmed. The price and stake size could change, the agreement may be delayed, or even fall apart in the coming days.

Shriram’s shares rose nearly 50% this year on India’s National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange, giving a market value of around $18 billion, marking its fifth straight year of positive returns.

The reasons for the rally were: SFL’s strong fundamentals; the Reserve Bank of India’s easing for NBFCs; India’s rising Gross Domestic Product, which is increasing demand for SFL’s core lending segments; SFL’s final 150% dividend payout; and the proposed agreement with MUFG.

MUFG is not the first bank to propose a stake in an Indian bank. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), Japan’s second-largest bank, acquired a 20% stake in Yes Bank for $1.6 billion in May 2025, via secondary purchases from the State Bank of India and other banks. SMFG later became the single largest shareholder, acquiring a 24.2% stake in Yes Bank. It has already deployed almost $5 billion and is seeking to expand lending operations and increase employee strength.

Yet another Japanese financial group, Mizuho Securities, a unit of Mizuho Financial Group, is set to acquire a majority stake in Indian investment bank Avendus from KKR for up to $523 million in December 2025. This move will make Avendus a consolidated subsidiary of the Japanese financial group.

Some of the factors that attracted Japanese investors were India’s economic growth projected to grow at 6.5% in 2026, outpacing Japan’s stagnant domestic market, a 1.4 billion consumer base, low banking penetration, Reserve Bank of India’s robust regulatory reforms, eased foreign investment norms, and strong Japan-India collaboration in infrastructure projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train.

Since announcing its deal with Shriram, MUFG has reportedly seen increased interest from automakers looking to boost sales through preferential financing. Should the acquisition close, MUFG plans to have staff in Tokyo and Singapore to develop and execute these deals.

Finance

The big retirement question Aussies are asking right now: ‘We see a jump’

Published

1 day ago

January 29, 2026

Press Room

The big retirement question Aussies are asking right now: ‘We see a jump’

HESTA CEO Debby Blakey says there’s no better time than right now to look at your super. (Source: HESTA/Getty)

January is nearly behind us and most Australians are now back into the work grind, with kids returning to school to embark on another year. With things settling back to normal, it’s prompted one big retirement question to come to the minds of many workers.

Google Trends data shows searches for ‘how much do you need to retire’ surge as the school year begins. It’s one of four major spikes, along with around the Easter holidays, end of the financial year and the September school holidays.

Super fund HESTA has reported a surge in Australians using its retirement planning tool at the start of the school year, with activity increasing by more than 40 per cent in late January and early February in 2025.

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“We regularly see a jump in planning activity around this time of year after many members have enjoyed quality time with family and friends over the festive season – be it BBQs by the beach or relaxing by the pool,” HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said.

“As Australians look ahead to the rest of the year, many ask one simple question: when can I retire?”

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There’s obviously no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.

While there’s no set retirement age in Australia, to be eligible for the Age Pension, you’ll need to be at least 67.

In terms of how much money you need, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia’s standard estimates a single would need $595,000 and a couple $690,000 in their superannuation to retire comfortably at the age of 67. This assumes you receive a part age pension and own your home outright.

If you’re one of the many Aussies dreaming about retirement, Blakey said now was the time to take action.

“The reality is there is no better time than right now to take action on your super and it’s never too late to make a difference to your financial future,” she said.

“There are many small actions people can take to support their journey to a dignified retirement.”

To start with, Blakey said it was important to understand how much super you had, how much your employer was contributing, where your super is invested and how much it’s grown over the long-term.

The super fund’s research found a third of people were only checking their balance once a year or less, while 43 per cent were more likely to check it in times of market turbulence.