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HUB24 (ASX:HUB) delivered its financial performance for the first half of fiscal year 2026, underscored by a 60% rise in underlying net profit after tax, reaching $68.3 million.

Mark Zuckerberg testified that it's "very difficult" to enforce Instagram's age limits as he sought to defend the platform during a landmark trial over social media addiction. The chief executive officer of Meta Platforms was sharply questioned on the witness stand Wednesday about the company's efforts to attract and engage teenage users, and whether it adequately policed accounts belonging to children under 13, despite rules barring them from using the app. Zuckerberg said Meta has introduced some "proactive tools" to try to identify and remove accounts used by children under 13, but called it a "challenging" problem. Bloomberg News Senior Technology Reporter Kurt Wagner joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. He speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr defended the agency's rules regarding equal air time for political candidates and said the controversy over an interview between CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert and Texas state Representative James Talarico  that never aired on the network wasn't the result of government censorship. Talarico, who is seeking a US Senate seat, used the incident to grab attention and campaign donations as he faces off against Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in a closely watched primary race, according to Carr. Talarico's interview with Colbert was ultimately posted to the show's YouTube channel as an "online exclusive." Matthew Schettenhelm, Bloomberg Intelligence Media Litigation Analyst, and Bloomberg News Media Reporter Hannah Miller join Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. They speak with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.

Todd Kahn, CEO and brand president of Coach, discusses the brand's growth, attributing much of its recent success to a strategic focus on Gen Z consumers. He speaks with Romaine Bostick and Katie Greifeld on "The Close."

Transurban (ASX:TCL) announced its results for the first half of fiscal year 2026, underscored by a 2.5% increase in average daily traffic across all markets.

Michael Brown, president and CEO of Travel + Leisure Co., discusses the company's latest earnings report and record stock close. He tells Romaine Bostick and Katie Greifeld on "The Close" that consumer spending on travel remains robust.

New residential construction in the US rose to a five-month high in December, as homebuilders boosted production to take advantage of lower borrowing costs. Housing starts increased 6.2% to an annual pace of 1.4 million homes in December, according to figures released Wednesday by the government, which were delayed by fall's federal shutdown. That beat all estimates in a Bloomberg survey. The advance was broad-based, with both single-family home starts and apartment projects rising at year's end. The number of one-family homes started was the highest since February. Kamini Lane, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Realty, joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. Lane also weighs in on this week's mortgage rate data, the current real estate market in cities like Los Angeles, and more. She speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.

IPH (ASX:IPH) reported a significant 10.5% increase in interim statutory net profit after tax, reaching $41.2 million, compared to $37.3 million a year earlier.

Jean Hynes, CEO of Wellington Management, discusses investment strategy and the growing role of private assets in portfolios with Romaine Bostick and Katie Greifeld on "The Close." She says the firm believes it has a "real edge" in its investments.

Barclays estimates software now makes up about 20% of all loans held by BDCs, making it their largest sector exposure. This week's investment committee on "Bloomberg Deals" discusses the possible pain points in software. Guests include: Nenad Milicevic-Helac, Americas co-leader of TMT Alixpartners, Songyee Yoon, founder and managing partner of Principal Venture Partners, and Anura Rana, Bloomberg Intelligence.

APA Group (ASX:APA) logged an underlying EBITDA of $1.09 billion for the half year ended Dec. 31, 2025, marking a 7.6% increase over the previous period.

Wendy Stewart, president of Global Commercial Banking at Bank of America, discusses how international investors and middle-market companies are adapting their strategies in response to geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. She speaks with Romaine Bostick and Katie Greifeld on "The Close."