In the world of fintechs, it pays to stay private.

Take payments giant Stripe. After a stellar 2025, the company reached a valuation of $159 billion—nearly five times more than its Dutch rival Adyen, which is publicly traded. In what’s becoming a more common trend, most fintechs that have gone public in recent years are seeing their stocks stagnate or slump, while private equity firms and VCs continue to prop up others.

But such high numbers risk a reckoning. Michael Gilroy, a former general partner at investment firm Coatue and cofounder of venture capital shop Marathon Management, says the valuations for top private fintechs “are beyond nonsensical.”

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It’s not just your average drivers feeling the pain at the pump in recent weeks. With the price of diesel spiking more than 36% in the past month, farmers, shipping companies and the retail industry are all seeing an impact—and that could soon mean higher prices for just about everything. “The costs of all products will rise,” energy economist Philip Verleger told Reuters.

A spike in global crude oil prices resumed in early trading on Tuesday, as Iran continues to strike oil infrastructure and shipping in the Gulf region. The global benchmark Brent Crude index rose to $104 per barrel, up more than 3.7% compared to Monday’s close, an increase that comes after Iran’s foreign minister said that the Strait of Hormuz would only be closed for “tankers and ships belonging to our enemies.”

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A group of Harvard students and faculty has submitted a “denaming” request that asks the university to remove billionaire Les Wexner’s name from buildings on campus, the latest fallout for Wexner after the government’s release of files on........

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