Why Sezzle likely clears the BNPL bank charter race first: 3 signals

BNPL bank charter

Sezzle filed for a national bank charter months after Affirm and Klarna filed for industrial bank charters, yet the signals point to Sezzle reaching a public decision first, likely by 30 September 2027. Three dated indicators explain why the choice of regulator now matters more than the order of filing.

Cato triples store closures to 120: 70 more shut by year-end

Cato store closures 2026: half-empty racks in a strip-mall fashion store

The Cato Corporation will close about 120 stores in fiscal 2026 after adding roughly 70 lease-end exits on September 18, citing pressure on customers’ discretionary income. Second-quarter sales fell 6% and gross margin dropped to 32.8%, while a $5.7 million IEEPA tariff refund had flattered the first quarter.

Why Alexa for Shopping likely goes global by Q1 2027: 3 hiring signals

Alexa for Shopping

Amazon looks likely to launch Alexa for Shopping, its agentic assistant, in three or more non-US marketplaces by March 31, 2027, and to open a shopping assistant in Mexico, Brazil or Australia. Fourteen Rufus job postings in 30 days, Alexa+ in twelve countries and a two-speed Prime Big Deal Days announcement point the same way.

Why Fiserv is likely to sell a debit network by February 2027: 3 signals

Fiserv debit network sale

Fiserv is likely to sign an agreement to sell one of its two debit networks, most plausibly Accel, before it reports Q4 2026 results in early February 2027. A September 10 leverage-first capital plan, a September 3 analyst readout naming Accel, and an October 22 debit-fee court date point the same way.