Opening Bid Unfiltered

Bilt is entering its next chapter. As the payments and rewards platform for over 70% of the top rental companies nationwide, Bilt is now eyeing several new product launches to kick off 2026. The company is armed with $250 million in fresh funding from investors to pursue its ambitions, which valued the company at $10.75 billion. Former American Express (AXP) CEO Ken Chenault and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell remain on the board. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Bilt founder and CEO Ankur Jain to discuss what’s next for the privately held company that counts General Catalyst as a top investor. Jain also peels back the layers on his entrepreneurial journey.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves, and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor, before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at [email protected].

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.
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From the tennis court to the broadcast booth. Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with former professional tennis player Patrick McEnroe. McEnroe is also a long-time commentator for ESPN, calling hosts of big tennis matches and being among the top voices at venues like the US Open. McEnroe – the brother of John McEnroe – won one singles title and numerous doubles titles over the course of his career. McEnroe takes Sozzi inside the future of tennis post the retirements of legends Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. He also shares what he has learned from losing and competition, and how both could serve up valuable learning experiences for the corporate athlete of today.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered brings you a high-octane take on the freshest analyst calls, wildest stock moves, and shrewdest commentary in the business world. Executive Editor Brian Sozzi puts Wall Street's finest through their paces in this essential conversation for every investor, before the stock market opens.

Find this episode's transcripts and more episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered at http://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/opening-bid/.

Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Please email us at [email protected].

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is hosted by Brian Sozzi and produced by Langston Sessoms.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are dealmakers on Wall Street, and then there are the teams at Perella Weinberg. If you have a big deal to get done as a CEO, this is one of your first stops on the Street to try and make it happen.

Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with veteran deal maker Andrew Bednar, CEO of advisory firm Perella Weinberg. The firm was founded in 2006 by storied dealmakers Joseph Perella and Peter Weinberg. Bednar has had his own storied history in deal-making, rising the ranks from Salomon Brothers to Goldman Sachs (GS) to Bank of America (BAC) to now Perella Weinberg (PWP). He has overseen some very large deals in the process, including the $10.2 billion sale of the NYSE to Intercontinental Exchange and Kate Spade’s sale to Coach. Bednar reveals what he has learned from these pressure packed situations and what the outlook for deal-making is for 2026 and beyond.
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Deal activity is heating up as 2025 nears a close amid lower interest rates from the Fed and a sense from sellers that valuations are about as full as one could expect.
Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Apollo Global Management co-head of equity David Sambur. After being held by Liberation Day market related volatility, the environment for deal-making has picked up. This year is on track to become the second highest in deal activity, up 36% in value to an estimated $4.8 trillion according to Bain & Company. Megadeals greater than $5 billion have represented more than 75% of incremental deal value. Meanwhile, exit activity for private equity companies accelerated meaningfully in the third quarter. Private equity firms have announced exits totaling $470 billion so far this year per data from EY, marking a 40% increase by value compared with the same period last year. Sambur shares his outlook for M&A and exits in 2026, the drivers of that potential activity and what he has learned from making big deals over the course of his career.
Disclosure: Yahoo is a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management.
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Opening Bid Unfiltered is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

From the racetrack to the race for cybersecurity spending dollars. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with CrowdStrike (CRWD) founder and CEO George Kurtz. The conversation veered off down a few side streets, so to speak. Kurtz is an accomplished endurance racer, and that led him recently to purchase a 15% minority interest in the Mercedes F1 team. It’s an incredible combination of Kurtz’s public company experience, tech expertise, and passion for racing. At the same time, CrowdStrike is gearing up for a big 2026 in the eyes of Wall Street as more AI agents raise the risk of cybersecurity threats. Kurtz reveals his operating playbook for the road ahead.

Listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our website for full episodes of Opening Bid Unfiltered.

Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered is produced by Langston Sessoms.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices