Finance Knuggets

Jan 23, 2025

I recently heard about a number of significant developments in the financial and investment landscape. There have been several acquisitions and public offerings, reflecting the ongoing dynamism in the financial market. Additionally, there has been ongoing debate about the regulation of private markets and the protection of investors in these markets. The SEC proposed rules for private funds to mandate more and standardized disclosure, and to restrict some of the fees those funds could charge, but these proposals were ultimately struck down by a court last year.

In terms of investment news, a group of U.S. pensions and other institutions is pushing private-equity firms to share more information on their fees and investment returns. The Institutional Limited Partners Association proposed new guidelines to standardize financial reporting by private-equity firms. Additionally, I came across a large trade involving MicroStrategy Inc., where the company is using a complex strategy to trade its stock relative to the value of its Bitcoin holdings. The company has been using its volatile stock to engage in various trades, including selling convertibles and shorting the stock, which has led to some investors lining up to take the other side of the retail trades.

Furthermore, Calamos has announced the expansion of the Calamos Protected Bitcoin ETF Suite through two new ETFs offering upside growth potential of bitcoin with 90% and 80% protection levels over a one year outcome period. Lastly, there is an upstart ETF firm pitching an exchange-traded fund that will go all-in on a branded Trump coin, which raises questions around potential conflicts of interest for the president and his family. This move comes amidst a speculative and controversial crypto frenzy sparked by Donald Trump launching namesake digital tokens in the run-up to his presidential inauguration.

Stay Well!

summy
summy