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Ashland shares rose after a report that activist investor Ancora has taken a stake in the specialty chemicals company. Ancora's involvement typically signals potential pressure for strategic or operational changes. No further details on the size of the stake or Ancora's specific demands have been disclosed.

OpenAI has confidentially filed for an initial public offering in the United States, according to the company. No timeline for the public launch of the IPO has been determined yet.

Capital B is seeking shareholder approval for up to $122 billion in capital-raising authority to expand its Bitcoin treasury holdings. The funding mandate would significantly scale the company's existing Bitcoin acquisition strategy. No shareholder vote date or outcome has been reported yet.

Ripple is reportedly leading a $1 billion XRP treasury raise, according to a CoinDesk report. Details on the structure or participants of the raise have not been confirmed. The report is unconfirmed and sourced as a rumor at this stage.

McCormick & Company shares are rising after a report that activist investor Toms Capital has built a stake in the spice and flavoring company. The involvement of an activist investor typically signals potential pressure for strategic or operational changes. No specific demands or timeline have been disclosed in the report.

Bit Digital purchased $20 million worth of Ethereum, expanding its treasury to approximately 158,000 ETH. The acquisition moves the Nasdaq-listed company ahead of Coinbase Global to become the fourth-largest public corporate holder of Ether, per CoinGecko data. Coinbase is mentioned only as a benchmark comparison.

SharpLink Gaming, Forward Industries, Bitmine, and Galaxy Digital are among crypto-related firms being considered for inclusion in Russell indexes, including the Russell 1000, which tracks the largest 1,000 U.S. companies. Index inclusion eligibility is based on market capitalization and other criteria evaluated during Russell's annual reconstitution. No official inclusion decisions have been confirmed at this time.

SharpLink Gaming, backed by Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin, is set to join the Russell indexes. The company has positioned itself as an Ethereum treasury firm, holding ETH as a core part of its corporate strategy. Index inclusion typically triggers passive fund buying of the added stock.

Strategy repurchased a portion of its 2029 convertible notes for $1.38 billion in cash, retiring approximately $1.5 billion in face value of debt at a discount. The buyback reduces the company's aggregate convertible notes outstanding to $6.7 billion. The move lowers Strategy's overall debt load and interest obligations tied to its Bitcoin acquisition strategy.

Strategy has used its cash reserves to retire $1.5 billion in convertible debt. The move reduces the company's outstanding debt obligations and reflects ongoing balance sheet management. No new financing was announced in connection with the repayment.

Nuclear startup X-energy, backed by Amazon, raised $1 billion in its IPO — approximately 20% above its initial target — driven by surging demand for nuclear power from data centers. The oversubscribed offering reflects growing investor interest in small modular reactor (SMR) technology as a power source for AI infrastructure. Amazon is an existing backer of X-energy prior to the IPO.