Mizuho Waits for Next Opportunity After Cutting Bond Positions
Mizuho Financial Group Inc. is managing its securities portfolio 'very conservatively' as Japan's third-largest lender prepares for the next investing opportunity after shrinking its bond holdings.
The bank wouldn't build up big positions until it is confident the Bank of Japan isn't likely to raise rates any more, Chief Executive Officer Masahiro Kihara said during a question-and-answer session with the media on Tuesday.
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Skift
3 hours ago
- Skift
Capella's Break-Out Year: Four Openings, Two Brands, Cracking Luxury's Toughest Challenge
The Singapore-based hotel group expands its portfolio while expanding a second brand, demonstrating that growth and craft excellence aren't mutually exclusive. On Experience Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing here Capella Hotels may be solving luxury hospitality's toughest equation: maintaining intimacy while scaling. The Singapore-based group is doubling its footprint in 2025, adding four properties across Asia while simultaneously developing Patina, their cultural-centric second brand, into urban markets. Rather than the blitzscaling approach of larger competitors, the expansion reads as craft-paced growth. Each new property targets underserved markets with distinct positioning, suggesting the group has found a sustainable way to grow without losing what makes them special. "Guests aren't collectors of luxury hotels, they're collectors of meaningful contexts," explains Cristiano Rinaldi, President of Capella, articulating a mindset that seems to be resonating with discerning travelers and addressing a key tension facing luxury hospitality. This intent is evident in Capella's newest properties. Capella Taipei, which opened in April as the city's first luxury hotel debut in several years, immediately filled a void in Taiwan's economic and cultural capital. The 86-key property, designed by Andre Fu, operates as a "modern mansion" with programming that includes calligraphy workshops and night-market expeditions through their "Capella Culturists" program. The execution feels sharp, and despite just opening, seems to be magnetic to the right crowd. During a recent visit, the hotel buzzed with a compelling mix of American tech executives, global business travelers, and affluent Taiwanese locals: a living moodboard that might have appeared in early concept drafts of the property. It felt inspired and different. Two-Brand Approach Similar intentionality appears across their 2025 openings: Capella Kyoto taps into strong interest in Japan's traditional heritage with an intimate 89-key property by Kengo Kuma & Associates, and perhaps most intriguingly, Capella is developing Patina as a parallel luxury brand targeting culturally curious travelers. Where Capella emphasizes heritage and craft, Patina positions itself as "pioneering transformative luxury" for guests seeking creative programming alongside high-touch service. Patina Osaka, their 221-key urban debut, showcases this through partnerships with local tastemakers like Verdy, the Japanese creative who styles for Blackpink and designs limited Nike editions. Verdy lives nearby in Osaka (and also runs a local pizza joint), and their collaborations evolved naturally over time, first at Patina Maldives, and then in his own backyard with the hotel's Listening Room by OJAS (aka Devon Turnbull) channels Japan's vinyl bar culture, while pop-up collaborations lend cultural cred that speak to next-gen luxury travelers. "With Patina, we're definitely not going to color within the lines," Rinaldi explains, describing an approach that allows for a bit of risk-taking while leveraging Capella's operational acumen. Rinaldi also says that some of the cultural dot connecting that Patina does well is also feeding into Capella's pipeline. By positioning Patina as "powered by Capella," they're creating a bit of space for both brands to develop distinct identities while sharing resources and expertise, and providing some necessary clarity to consumers. The group's most significant opportunity remains the United States, where Americans already account for nearly 30% of room nights across their Asian portfolio. Unlike competitors with established North American presence, Capella is building brand recognition through word-of-mouth, a slower but potentially more sustainable approach. The brand is also demonstrating operational execution. Their investment in general managers like Antonio Saponara (currently running Capella Bangkok after fine tuning Patina Maldives) ensures vision-based service that pulls through the front line staff, and the focus on genuine local partnerships, when done well, creates differentiation. Other brands find it hard to have the taste levels or the connections to truly make these feel real. Sydney's Capella (opened in 2023) has also become a gathering place for the international creative class rather than just another central business district hotel. Each property feels distinctly interesting with its own inherent energy. What Comes Next Capella's 2025 expansion represents luxury hospitality's most thoughtful scaling effort in recent memory. By combining disciplined growth with creative programming, they're demonstrating that a boutique and craft mindset and broader reach aren't incompatible, provided the execution remains meticulous. The two-brand strategy adds complexity and remains the biggest risk to watch, which will be interesting to follow. It takes a long time to introduce consumers to one brand, let alone two new ones. The real test comes in the next 18 months. Can Capella Kyoto maintain the cultural authenticity that defines the brand while opening in Japan's most tradition-conscious city? Will American travelers embrace Patina as a distinct experience, or will brand confusion occur? And perhaps most critically, can they secure that elusive U.S. foothold without compromising the patient, relationship-driven approach that got them here? If Capella succeeds on all fronts, they'll have cracked the code that has stymied luxury hospitality for decades. But it will be a strategic, marketing, and operational challenge that will take an unprecedented level of leadership cohesion. But early signs are promising.
Entrepreneur
3 hours ago
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Profitable, AI-Powered Tech, Now Preparing for a Potential Public Listing
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So it's no wonder investors are learning all they can about what's driving ConsumerDirect's success before the key June 13 deadline3. The technology powering ConsumerDirect's growth At the center of ConsumerDirect's platform is SmartCredit®, a suite of tools that lets consumers track and maximize their credit in real time. And behind SmartCredit® is Max AI™, a proprietary intelligence engine that analyzes up to 9,000 data points4 per user to deliver personalized credit-building strategies. This is what makes the platform different: it's an intelligent system that adapts to each person's unique financial picture. And because MaxAI™ is deeply integrated into the platform, ConsumerDirect monetizes this engine through a diversified model: Direct-to-Consumer Subscriptions – Monthly fees for SmartCredit® access – Monthly fees for SmartCredit® access Affiliate Commissions – Revenue from credit cards, loans, and other partner products – Revenue from credit cards, loans, and other partner products Enterprise Licensing – White-label and API partnerships with businesses This high-margin, recurring revenue model has made ConsumerDirect profitable and scalable – a rare combination in fintech. Traction that deserves credit Since launching SmartCredit®, ConsumerDirect has helped its more than 300,000 monthly active users take control of their credit and financial health. That amounts to roughly $3 billion5 in combined savings through more informed lending decisions and personalized credit strategies. That's produced $102 million1 in revenue and $10 million+ in EBITDA1, but what makes those figures even more impressive is their 88% gross margins1. Of course, just as important is their business-to-business reach. More than 3,800 active partners6 now use ConsumerDirect's platform through white-label or co-branded integrations, providing high-margin, recurring revenue and extending the company's influence far beyond direct-to-consumer sales. This mix of profitability, consumer demand, and B2B adoption positions ConsumerDirect for continued success. Why investors are circling June 13 ConsumerDirect recently reserved the ticker symbol CNDR2 in preparation for a potential direct public listing on a national securities exchange. To list on an exchange, they need at least 200 individual investors who've invested $2,500 or more. Instead of courting institutional investors, they're turning to those who power their mission: everyday people. When you invest before June 133 you can receive up to 14% in bonus shares: $2,500+ = 7% bonus $5,000+ = 9% bonus $10,000+ = 11% bonus +3% more for the first 200 investors ConsumerDirect is profitable, growing, and ready to scale further. Don't miss your chance to invest in a real business with real traction before its potential public listing. Secure your ConsumerDirect shares before June 13 to maximize your stake in their growth. This is a paid advertisement for Consumer Direct's CF offering. Please read the offering circular at 1 The financial information presented herein is derived from audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024. Readers should refer to the full audited financial statements and accompanying notes for a comprehensive understanding. 2 Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on a national securities exchange is subject to approvals. 3 See our Form C for important details regarding the investment deadline. 4 This number reflects the maximum potential insights generated per member and may vary by individual usage, data availability, and engagement levels as of April 2025. All data is derived from internal methodologies and is unaudited. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only and is subject to change without notice. 5 Calculation Methodology: Our savings calculations are estimates using historical internal data. It is based on analyzing subscribers credit reports that had an increased credit score, while a current subscriber, for two categories: new auto and new mortgage financings. The calculations assumed precise credit score reporting, a consistent correlation between score ranges and financing rates, uniform loan terms except for interest rates, and steady interest rates over the loan's term, along with unvarying borrowing behaviors among users. It's important to note that our calculation estimates rely on accurate credit reporting, average loan data and current interest rates, but may not account for an individual subscriber's interest rate variations, if any, or significant shifts in users' borrowing and repayment habits, if any. Additionally, there was an assumed conversion from VantageScore® v3.0 to FICO® v8.0 and then verified by an official FICO® v8.0 calculator to determine savings from starting credit score to credit score before the above mentioned financing occurred. Our calculation is subject to change without notice. 6 Based on internal company records as of March 2025. It reflects partners who engaged in qualifying business activities during the specified reporting period, as determined by internal criteria. This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not represent a guarantee of current or future partner activity. The definition of "active" may vary, and the active partners count is subject to change without notice.
Motor 1
3 hours ago
- Motor 1
This Might Be Nissan's New Sedan Before You're Supposed to See It
Update: This story has been updated with more information regarding Nissan's EV concept in China. Nissan has a massive product onslaught planned over the next few years. Alongside the latest Kicks and the updated Murano SUVs, the Japanese automaker has a new Leaf coming to the US as early as next year. But if these patent filings are any indication, there could be even more products on the horizon—and soon. Nissan recently filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization, as uncovered by Top Gear Philippines . The patent was filed in China on September 14 of last year and officially registered on May 9, 2025. It shows an updated Nissan sedan with the brand's latest design language. Nissan Patent Images Photo by: WIPO It's unclear whether these images show a new Sentra, Altima, Maxima, or something different entirely. The photos look nearly identical to the Evo concept from earlier last year, though they weren't officially filed until after that concept debuted. It could potentially be a production version of that vehicle. The patent also bears a similar resemblance to the Chinese Nissan N7 , but that sedan is larger and has more distinct cues. If this is a US-bound model, our best guess would be all-new Sentra or a revived Altima, which may be discontinued in the US after this year. The front fascia bears the automaker's new angular headlight treatment, which we've seen on the upcoming Leaf and a few of Nissan's previous concepts. The back end, meanwhile, has a slim light bar that encircles the trunk lid and stretches out to the rear bumper on either side. The profile almost makes it look like a fastback, which leads us to believe this is a mid-size sedan as opposed to a compact. We've seen spy photos of Nissan testing a sedan prototype in Michigan that looks nearly identical to the patent images pictured here. But even in those spy photos, it's difficult to tell if the car in question is the smaller Sentra or the mid-size Altima. Our spy photographers believe it could be the Sentra, but slightly larger than the current-generation model. Photo by: WIPO Photo by: WIPO In those spy photos, we also see an exhaust system, which means Nissan won't go full EV for its next sedan. Our best guess is a new hybrid system, potentially the turbocharged 1.5-liter hybrid unit from the plug-in-hybrid Frontier —which won't come to the US. That powertrain delivers 402 horsepower in the plug-in truck, but a detuned version of that could make sense in the smaller Sentra or Altima sedans. If this is indeed a new Sentra, don't expect to see a production version before 2027. The current model is still on sale in the US, and it likely won't change for 2026. With the Altima rumored to be discontinued after this year, we could see a new version of that sedan before the end of 2025. If we're lucky. Nissan's Recent Struggles The Last Five-Speed Manual Is Dead Nissan Might Sell Its Home to Survive: Report Source: World Intellectual Property Organization via Top Gear Philippines Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
