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Companies generate significantly more value from AI when chief financial officers oversee initiatives, according to a global study, with 76% of CFO-led projects delivering strong returns despite only 2% of firms assigning responsibility to finance leaders. The findings suggest CFOs bring discipline, standardized measurement, and organizational credibility to evaluating AI outcomes, often working alongside technology teams to validate and scale impact across the business. The research also highlights broader challenges in extracting value from AI, particularly generative AI, which is hardest to measure, while agentic AI shows strong returns despite complexity. Most organizations have yet to invest in widespread AI training, and although large-scale job cuts remain rare, many firms are already slowing hiring in anticipation of AI-driven efficiencies, underscoring the need for clearer metrics, workforce planning, and deeper integration of AI into core business processes.

 

Fortune

Wall Street bonuses reached a record average of $246,900 for 2025, up 6% year-on-year, driving a total payout of $49.2bn amid strong investment banking and trading activity. Despite the increase, the rise fell short of New York City’s 15% growth expectations, limiting anticipated tax revenues at a time when the city faces a budget shortfall exceeding $5bn. While the payouts are set to boost state and city tax receipts modestly, tensions remain between policymakers and the financial sector over potential tax increases, with bonuses continuing to represent a significant share of overall compensation for securities industry employees.

 

Wall Street Journal

British Airways is offering its pilots a financial incentive to reduce their aircraft's fuel consumption. Pilots would be required to cut their jets' carbon dioxide emissions by 60,000 tons above 2025 levels to achieve a bonus that could equal 1% of their basic salary, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The proposal is to be voted on by members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association at the end of April. “Flight crew decisions have a direct and measurable impact on fuel burn and emissions,” states a document sent to BA pilots in the union. “The incentive exists only to recognise and reward fuel efficient behaviors when, and only when, they are compatible with uncompromised safety and sound airmanship.”

 

Bloomberg

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have introduced legislation to ban the federal government from obtaining or operating unmanned Chinese robots. The American Security Robotics Act seeks to bar government use of “unmanned ground vehicle systems” - including humanoid robots and remote surveillance vehicles - made by foreign adversaries such as China. “The Chinese Communist Party has shown that they are willing to lie and cheat to get ahead at the expense of the American people and our national security,” Schumer said, adding: “They are running their standard playbook - this time in robotics - trying to flood the U.S. market with their technology, which presents real security risks and threats to Americans’ privacy and American research and industry.”

 

The Hill

Reuters

U.S. News & World Report

Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman are in discussions over a potential merger of equals. A deal could be agreed within weeks and is expected to include a substantial stock component, allowing the founding Ricard and Brown families to retain significant ownership stakes. The proposed combination would bring together major global spirits portfolios, including brands such as Absolut, Jameson, and Jack Daniel’s, and is seen as a strategic response to mounting pressures across the alcohol industry. Both companies have indicated that a merger could deliver meaningful cost savings and efficiencies, but have stressed that discussions are ongoing and there is no certainty that a transaction will be completed.

 

Bloomberg

Financial Times

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Mastercard is exploring the sale of its real-time payments unit acquired from Nets in 2019 for $3.2bn, potentially at a significant discount, marking a reversal of its largest-ever acquisition as the business has weighed on growth. The unit generates around $370m in revenue and $100m in EBITDA, and may attract private equity interest, as Mastercard shifts focus to other areas including digital assets following its recent acquisition of stablecoin infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8bn.

 

Financial Times

Reuters

Elon Musk’s defense attorney Alex Spiro has accused a San Francisco federal jury of “mocking” the billionaire by including “$4.20” among the figures pertaining to damages in a class-action suit that accused the billionaire of misleading Twitter investors. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, Spiro argued the verdict was “corrupted” by bias and denied his client a fair trial. The number 420 is associated with marijuana culture, Reuters explains. Musk has often ⁠mentioned 420 in interviews and tweets, and used it in business activities. Spiro said the jury's "numerical joke" was "no doubt intentional," but Frank Bottini and Mark Molumphy, two of the investors' lawyers, in a joint statement ‌called ⁠Spiro's letter meritless.

 

New York Post

Bloomberg

Reuters

Food safety and animal welfare nonprofit Food Animal Concerns Trust has filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread, alleging the company misled consumers by continuing to market its meat as responsibly sourced while quietly loosening its standards to cut costs. The case claims Panera abandoned commitments on antibiotic-free and humane sourcing practices, including supplier standards for animal welfare, despite promoting itself as a leader in these areas. Panera has denied wrongdoing, stating that its animal welfare policies are clearly outlined, as scrutiny grows ahead of its previously planned IPO.

 

Reuters

Microsoft is making changes across human resources, and the company's chief diversity officer, Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, is leaving to become chief people officer of another organization. Meanwhile, the tech giant is close to hiring a new talent acquisition head who will report to Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. The company is going through an “AI-powered transformation,” wrote Coleman, who took on her role last year. “As technology and the way we work at Microsoft continue to evolve, we are transforming our people function so Microsoft remains a place where our employees can do their best work,” a spokesperson said in an email to CNBC. “The organizational updates we are making today align closely to our business priorities, and help us work more closely across teams, move faster, and simplify how we operate in support of our employees and customers.”

 

Business Insider

CNBC

United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA have reached a tentative labor deal that will include their first raises since the pandemic. United said the agreement will include immediate raises and top pay of $100 an hour at the end of the contract, as well as pay for flight attendants during boarding and “a signing bonus for every flight attendant worth a total of $740m.”

 

CNBC

Reuters

U.S. jobless claims increased by 5,000 to 210,000 in the seven days to March 21st, the Labor Department reported on Thursday, in line with the expectations of analysts polled by the Wall Street Journal. The four-week moving average of new filings edged down to 210,500, while the total number of claims, reported with a one-week lag, fell by 32,000 to 1.819m, the lowest since May 2024. “The number of unemployed on permanent layoff had kept rising through February in the employment report, but continuing claims are one sign that you could soon see the unemployment rate level off or decline,” commented JPMorgan Chase & Co. economist Abiel Reinhart. “That depends, of course, on the magnitude and duration of the recent energy shock.”

 

Bloomberg

Wall Street Journal

The OECD has warned that the Middle East conflict is reigniting inflation and weakening global growth, forecasting G20 inflation of 4% in 2026 and U.S. inflation rising to 4.2%, up sharply from prior estimates. While global growth projections remain relatively stable at 2.9% for 2026, the organization cautioned that higher energy prices and supply disruptions could further dampen activity and trigger financial market volatility. Central banks are expected to remain cautious, with the Federal Reserve and Bank of England likely to hold rates through 2026 and the European Central Bank considering a rate hike, as policymakers balance persistent inflation pressures against slowing economic momentum.

 

Los Angeles Times

New York Times

Legal AI startup Harvey has raised $200m in fresh capital at an $11bn valuation. The company offers AI tools for legal and professional services that can streamline contract analysis, compliance, due diligence and litigation. The company’s products are used by more than 100,000 lawyers across 1,300 organizations, according to a press release. “AI isn’t just assisting lawyers. It’s becoming the system through which legal work gets done,” said Harvey CEO and co-founder Winston Weinberg. “The law firms and in-house teams leading the way are building agents that execute complex workflows so lawyers can focus on judgement, strategy and outcomes.”

 

Bloomberg

CNBC

Silicon Republic

Apple has announced it will source components made in the United States by Japanese supplier TDK for the first time, as part of a broader push to localize its supply chain and reduce reliance on Asia. TDK plans to manufacture advanced camera sensors in the U.S., alongside new partnerships with Bosch, Cirrus Logic, and Qnity Electronics to expand domestic production of semiconductor-related components. The move aligns with Apple’s commitment to invest $600bn in building a U.S.-based supply chain and follows political pressure to increase domestic manufacturing, although final assembly of iPhones remains largely overseas.

 

CNBC	Financial Times

Fannie Mae is set to accept crypto-backed mortgages for the first time through a new product launched by Better Home & Finance and Coinbase, allowing homebuyers to use cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or USDC as collateral instead of selling assets for a cash down payment. The move marks a significant step toward mainstream adoption of crypto in housing finance, given Fannie Mae’s central role in the U.S. mortgage market. Under the structure, borrowers take out a traditional mortgage alongside a separate loan secured by their crypto holdings, which cannot be traded once pledged and may increase overall borrowing costs due to additional interest. The initiative aims to attract crypto investors seeking to preserve their holdings and avoid tax liabilities, although the product remains niche and carries risks linked to volatility and higher financing costs.

 

CNBC	Wall Street Journal

The European Parliament has backed legislation to implement a EU-U.S. trade deal, following months of uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tariff threats. A majority of lawmakers voted in favor of the measures, but added a series of safeguards to ensure the U.S. honors its side of the deal reached at President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland last July. The legislation would set tariffs at 15% for most EU goods - down from the 30% initially threatened - in exchange for European investment in the U.S. and the removal of EU import duties on U.S. industrial goods.  Olof Gill, European Commission trade spokesman, said: “We look forward to the U.S. administration fulfilling its part of the bargain and delivering on its commitments as set out in the [Turnberry] joint statement.

 

Financial Times

BBC News

The U.S. Treasury has confirmed that President Donald Trump’s signature will be added to U.S. paper currency, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature will appear on dollar bills. The move is tied to the country’s 250th anniversary. The decision forms part of broader efforts by the Trump administration to embed the president’s name and image across government initiatives and commemorative items, including proposed coins and federal branding, though some proposals have raised legal and political concerns.

 

CNN

NBC News

New York Times

Politico