Markets & Finance

Japan's two-year government bond yield rose to 1.650% on August 14, 2026, its highest since May 1995, while the five-year yield reached a record 2.135% in its fifth consecutive session of gains. Markets priced an approximately 80% probability of a Bank of Japan rate hike at the September 17–18 meeting, a figure derived from market pricing rather than any BOJ commitment. BOJ Board meeting summaries from July noted individual members flagging upside inflation risks and the possibility of a faster tightening pace, though no policy decision has been made.

The SEC filed a civil complaint on August 14, 2026, alleging Andrew Spaventa and three entities he controlled raised more than $74 million from over 800 retail investors between December 2020 and June 2025 by selling interests in eleven private funds at prices averaging 46% above his acquisition costs while disclosing fees of no more than 12.5%. The complaint alleges more than 100 sales agents cold-called thousands of prospective investors, including retirees, using scripted scarcity claims and concealing markups within transaction prices. Spaventa has denied the allegations and no court has made any finding of liability; the SEC is seeking permanent injunctions, disgorgement, and civil penalties.

Fitch upgraded Digicel International Finance Limited's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating one notch to B+ on July 30, 2026, citing consistent debt reduction and positive free cash flow, including a voluntary $100 million term loan repayment in April 2026. The upgrade covers approximately $2.64 billion in senior-secured debt maturing in 2032, with net leverage projected to fall from 3.4x to 3.1x by fiscal year 2027. Fitch noted that credit quality remains constrained by weak operating environments, currency risks, and low interest coverage despite the improvement.

Globe Life's new $2.5 billion share repurchase authorization became effective August 15, 2026, replacing a November 2024 program that had $736 million remaining. The new ceiling is 38.9% larger than the prior one and represents roughly 18% of the company's approximate market capitalization, though it carries no commitment to spend the full amount. Actual repurchase pace depends on excess cash flows, which management projects at $650 million to $700 million for full-year 2026, down from $890 million in 2025.

Israeli investment house Meitav will publish its second-quarter 2026 financial results on August 17, 2026, with investor calls in Hebrew at 11:00 a.m. and English at 3:30 p.m. Israel time. The report will be measured against a Q1 2026 baseline of NIS 425.7 billion in assets under management, NIS 598 million in total revenue, and a 42.3% adjusted EBITDA margin. Analysts tracking Israeli capital markets should note that two official Q2 2025 presentations reported unreconciled June-end non-bank credit figures of NIS 3.098 billion and NIS 3.325 billion, a discrepancy the forthcoming filing may address.

Core Scientific closed its acquisition of Polaris DS LLC on August 13, 2026, paying approximately $444.3 million in cash to Hong Kong-based seller Top Access Enterprises Limited for 40 acres adjacent to its existing Muskogee campus and electric-service agreements covering 440 MW of grid-connected power. An additional $40 million is contingent on 40 MW of new firm capacity becoming available before year-end, and the deal structure includes an undisclosed indemnity escrow holdback. The purchase advances Core Scientific's stated development target of 1.5 GW gross power at Muskogee, though that figure represents a construction plan rather than current operational capacity.