Weekly Roundup: 11 Finance Press Releases You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy financial press releases from PR Newswire this week,
including a decline in consumer confidence, rising demand for AI banking, and a CHI-CHI'S
crowdfunding initiative.

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help finance journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. US Consumer Confidence Dropped Sharply in February
   For the first time since June 2024, the Expectations Index was below the threshold of 80 that usually signals a recession ahead. February's fall in confidence was shared across all age groups but was deepest for consumers between 35 and 55 years old. 
2. New Research Shows Surging Consumer Demand for AI-Banking Services, According to Personetics Global Survey
   A majority of survey participants (84%) indicated that they would likely switch to a bank that provides timely, relevant advice to improve their financial health. Comprehensive personal banking insights and timely product recommendations often require AI-driven features to achieve this level of service.
3. CHI-CHI'S™ Restaurants Partners with Investment Platform StartEngine to Launch Crowdfunding Initiative
   As the iconic Mexican chain restaurant gears up for a 2025 comeback, Michael McDermott, the founder's son who has the restaurant rights to CHI-CHI'S, announced his plans to offer the public a stake in the brand's relaunch through Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). CHI-CHI'S is looking to raise $3.5 million with a minimum investment of $250.00 in exchange for equity in the brand.
4. PayPal Introduces Outlook for Accelerating Growth at Investor Day
   As part of the event, PayPal announced its new merchant offering, PayPal Open, one platform for all businesses. With PayPal Open, businesses, including developers and partners, will be able to easily discover and integrate commerce enablement tools, ranging from payments to financial services to risk solutions within the PayPal ecosystem. 
5. Solventum Announces Sale of its Purification & Filtration Business to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. for $4.1B
   Solventum expects an estimated $3.4 billion in net proceeds, which it intends to use primarily to pay down debt. "The sale of the Purification & Filtration business is part of phase three of our transformation plan and follows a thorough analysis of the value and strategic alignment of our businesses," said Bryan Hanson, Solventum CEO.
6. Raise Secures $63 Million to Transform the Payments and Loyalty Industry with Blockchain-Powered Gift Cards
   Raise will use the funding to further develop its proprietary blockchain-backed gift card program, Smart Cards, and expand the Retail Alliance Foundation, its non-profit coalition dedicated to uniting global retailers and brands to create a more secure, interoperable, and fraud-resistant gift card network.
7. Simon®, Shopify and Leap Collaborate to Deliver the Ultimate Omnichannel Experience Empowering Brands Like Ring Concierge to Expand Their Footprint
   The three industry leaders will offer comprehensive solutions for e-commerce brands to expedite their go-to-market strategy and open brick-and-mortar locations across the Simon portfolio. "Physical stores are a vital component to a brand's omnichannel strategy and have a proven track record for growing revenue and attracting new customers," said Zach Beloff, Vice President, Leasing at Simon.
8. HTX Global Advisor Justin Sun Advocates Crypto Security Collaboration
   In the wake of the recent $1.5 billion hack affecting a major cryptocurrency exchange, HTX hosted a live discussion on X and its Global Advisor Justin Sun addressed the growing security concerns in the cryptocurrency industry. The discussion featured insights from leading security firms SlowMist and GoPlus Security, as well as prominent KOLs.
9. Dow Jones to Acquire Dragonfly Intelligence and Oxford Analytica from FiscalNote
   Dow Jones will acquire Dragonfly Intelligence, a geopolitical and security intelligence provider, and Oxford Analytica, a provider of geopolitical intelligence advisory services, from FiscalNote for $40 million. This is the latest in a series of strategic acquisitions and investments aimed at bolstering Dow Jones's portfolio of specialized news, data, analysis and events for business professionals.
10. Digital Interactions by BofA Clients Surge to Over 26 Billion, up 12% Year-Over-Year
    Last year, Bank of America clients interacted 676 million times with Erica, the most advanced and first widely available AI-driven virtual financial assistant. Erica was recently used to assist clients in areas affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the Los Angeles wildfires. When clients asked Erica questions, they were given information about financial support and other resources available to them.
11. Debt.com Survey: Student Loan Borrowers Fear What Trump's Second Term Means for Their Debt
    While the future of federal forgiveness programs remains uncertain under Trump's presidency, 55% of borrowers have already applied for some form of student loan relief. Thirty-nine percent of the student loan borrowers surveyed say they are nervous—barely making ends meet even while payments have been paused.

For more news like this, check out all of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire.

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