Capital markets

Fueling its market expansion, U.K. earned wage access startup Wagestream has raised £20 million (about $25 million) in a Series B fundraiser from several VC firms.

The Main Street Lending Program is off to a slow start, while the PPP is extended five weeks to distribute the remaining $130 billion in loans; the European regulator is softening its stance to allow more deals.

VCs and lenders rely on business data such as transaction records to inform funding decisions for fintechs or small businesses, but bias and uneven representation in management still result in gender and racial disparity.

Checkout.com’s $150 million funding round triples the e-commerce company’s valuation to $5.5 billion, and it follows an even larger $600 million bet on Stripe this spring.

APEXX Global has completed a Series A fundraiser, bringing in $8 million from existing and new U.K. and Scandinavian investors to expand its payments platform.

The Federal Housing Administration's move to insure loans with forbearance could help support homeownership opportunities constrained by the coronavirus if one change was made to it, trade groups said.

Groups representing community banks and credit unions generally support the new percentage-based goals set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The mobile bank raised $241 million in its Series D round of funding, and expects to receive approval from regulators to become a nationally chartered bank this summer.

Starling Bank has raised £40 million (about $49 million) in its latest fundraiser as it steps up its support for small businesses, bringing its 2020 total to £100 million (about $123 million).

Sony has invested in digital transaction security firm MagicCube, citing it as the Sony Innovation Fund's first investment outside of Japan.

Banks would be wise to dust off their Great Recession playbook and shed nonperforming loans while growing through M&A.

Coronavirus has taken a massive toll on suppliers, and emerging invoice methods are getting thrust into the mainstream to rescue cash-strapped businesses.

Stilt, which had already been offering unsecured loans to newcomers to the U.S., is working with technology and banking partners to offer them deposit accounts and debit cards.

The company, backed by eight major players including JPMorgan Chase and State Street, lets investors vote virtually on corporate matters — a service that has grown more popular during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some benefits are materializing from Fannie Mae's pledge to limit servicers' exposure to principal-and-interest advances the way Freddie Mac does, but counterparties of both GSEs remain exposed to other concerns.

The strength of the post-coronavirus recovery will determine if that's enough for the digitally focused challenger to battle well-capitalized banks.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index hasn't yet reflected the impact of the coronavirus, but an independent market maker has some thoughts on how it might.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now able to buy loans in forbearance to alleviate pressure on the sector, but the fees charged by the mortgage giants to assume more risk could turn away some originators.

Paytronix, whose technology enables mobile payments and ordering at restaurants, has received $10 million in funding to help support increased demand for its services through the pandemic.

While the entire economy will slow due to stay-in-place orders and temporary economic shutdowns, payments fintech is expected to fare much better than other investment sectors due to these trends.