Fintech Focus For March 15, 2021

Quote To Start The Day: The first step is you have to say that you can.

Source: Will Smith

One Big Thing In Fintech: The fintech space is rapidly maturing.

Investors are backing huge deals, with Q1’21 already setting the record for total mega-rounds in a quarter. It has also seen the highest funding total for a quarter since Q2’18, which included Ant Financial’s massive $14B raise.

Source: CB Insights

Other Key Fintech Developments:

• Stripe scores $500M at $95B valuation.
• Ant Group CEO exits as China clamps.
• Binance is under a CFTC investigation.
• Detroit’s Autobooks added $25M round.
• BNP expanded, raised its Exane stake.
• Kentucky to approve crypto incentives.
• Insurtech exits spike, VC money piling.
• State Street extends Fund Connect ETF.
• Standard Chartered, BlackRock partner.
• NatWest winds up its lending business.
• Alt raises $31M in a seed and Series A.
• Parking payment technology is growing.
• Galileo opened LatAm innovation center.
• Bitcoin ETF is likely coming soon to US.
• BlockFi raises $350M in Series D funds.
• Tradier launched a TradeHawk Pro plan.

Watch Out For This: A Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be devastating to the U.S. military as a result of Beijing’s aggressive military development in recent years, according to a U.S. Air Force general.

Source: The Epoch Times

Interesting Reads:

• Relief bill is supporting airlines, airports.
• Current unpacks third stimulus payment.
• Food innovation, cell-based meat gains.
• Sen. Marco Rubio on an Amazon union.
• What role could vaccine passports play?
• TikTok added new anti-bullying features.
• Benzinga Clubhouse Boiler Room recap.

Market Moving Headline: U.S. stock index futures closed higher, last week.

This came alongside (1) the enactment of a massive, $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, (2) convergence in the 10-year Treasury rate and S&P 500 dividend yield, as well as (3) a material divergence in bond and equity market volatility.

Key Takeaways:

- $1.9T relief package is enacted.

- Inflation to print past Fed goal.

- Policy actions to limit volatility.

- Potential for late-March selling.

- Bond, equity volatility diverged.

- U.S. to lead economic recovery.

In the coming sessions, look out for balance, or two-sided trade as participants look for more information to base their next move on after last week’s rapid recovery.

See also: Best Online Stock Brokers

In the best case, the S&P 500 remains above the $3,840.00 volume area, and VWAP anchored from the $3,959.25 peak. This would suggest buyers, on average, are in control and winning since the February 15 rally-high.

Any activity below the VWAP anchored from the $3,959.25 peak may (1) leave the $3,840.00 HVNode as an area of supply, offering initiative sellers favorable entry and responsive buyers favorable exit.

For more on next week's trade in the S&P 500, see the link below.

Source: Physik Invest