#Artificial Intelligence

#Artificial Intelligence

The Wall Street investment giant reported that QTS, the data center developer and operator it took private in 2021, was the single largest driver of gains in the company's $1.3 trillion portfolio in 2025. The results were a clear sign that Blackstone's bets on digital infrastructure amid the artificial intelligence boom have reaped returns as other segments of its business, including real estate and private credit, have run into headwinds.

While we are waiting for the final decision from Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia, I want to present some thoughts on the least resolved of the case's many issues, the hard parts the judge will be pondering. Actually, one hard part: trust. But I need to tell you a little about the case to make the trust issue clear.

This may be the last year that law firms can expect billing rate increases to drive financial stability, according to a new survey of more than 800 senior finance and legal professionals in large firms across North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Technology company BigHand's 2026 finance report suggests that firms can no longer rely on traditional measures of profitability, as clients are demanding more efficiency and predictability amid the increased adoption of artificial intelligence across the legal profession, according to Law.com.

Establishing Specs Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary provides greater operational focus and alignment, enables new partnerships and capital flexibility including the potential for minority investment, allows us to grow a distinct brand, and supports clearer valuation of the business,

The Agency is one of the most respected luxury brands in real estate, and their commitment to thoughtful growth and agent empowerment aligns closely with how we build Rechat, said Shayan Hamidi, chief executive officer of Rechat. Our team across 18 countries and our platform are designed to help reduce complexity and support scale. This partnership reflects a shared belief that technology should enable great agents, not get in their way.

Paris-based fintech Pennylane has just pulled off one of Europe's most noteworthy funding rounds of the year, announcing €175 million in new capital to accelerate its push into artificial intelligence and expand its footprint across the continent. The round was led by growth investor TCV, with participation from Blackstone Growth and a group of existing backers that includes Sequoia Capital, DST Global, CapitalG and Meritech Capital.

PayPal announced this morning its agreement to acquire Cymbio, a Tel Aviv-based multi-channel orchestration platform founded in 2015. Cymbio automates brand-to-retailer connectivity, managing product data, inventory synchronization, order orchestration, and billing. The platform enables brands to sell across agentic surfaces such as Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) Copilot and Perplexity, alongside traditional e-commerce channels. The deal builds on an existing relationship PayPal had with Cymbio to support its initial agentic commerce services, and PayPal Ventures invested in the company back in 2022.

If you purchased shares The Walt Disney Company ( NYSE:DIS) around 11 years ago, you might not have a heck of a lot to show for your investment. Undoubtedly, the stock is pretty much going for prices it went for just over a decade ago. And while it's been a real test of investor patience, it's clear that Disney shares have been a trap for many years,

As an investor for more than 50 years, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio told Fortune's Kamal Ahmed that, after studying the rises and declines of reserve currencies in major empires over the last 500 years, he sees the same patterns repeating "like a movie." It all boils down to five specific forces that interact-money and debt, domestic politics, world order, nature, and technology, Dalio said. Every issue today sits within the interaction of these forces and their long-term cycles, he said.