Business
Peloton posts bullish holiday forecast, betting that shoppers will spend big on new product lineup
Peloton on Thursday posted its second profitable quarter in a row as it released strong guidance for the crucial holiday shopping season, banking on its relaunched product assortment to drive growth.
The connected fitness company posted a surprise net income of $13.9 million in the three months ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of $900,000 a year earlier.
For the current quarter, Peloton’s strongest for hardware sales, the company is expecting revenue to be between $665 million and $685 million, a slight increase from the year-ago period and largely better than Wall Street expectations of $665 million, according to LSEG.
Peloton also raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook and is now expecting it to be between $425 million and $475 million, up $25 million from its previous outlook on both ends. Much of that forecast is ahead of analyst expectations of between $400 million and $450 million, according to StreetAccount.
Shares jumped about 11% in extended trading Thursday.
Despite the good news, Peloton is still dealing with issues from its past. Earlier on Thursday, it said it was initiating yet another recall from its early product lineup. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the company was recalling 833,000 of its original Bike+ devices after receiving reports that the seat post can break and detach during a ride – the same issue that prompted a recall of its base Bike model in 2023.
“We have received a small number of reports of an original series Bike+ seat post breaking during use. As of today, we are aware of three such incidents,” Peloton CEO Peter Stern said on the company’s earnings call Thursday.
Peloton’s latest recall cost the company $13.5 million during the quarter reported Thursday, contributing to a 0.3 percentage point decline in its gross margin.
For its first fiscal 2026 quarter reported Thursday, Peloton beat analyst expectations on the top and bottom lines.
Here’s how the fitness company did in its first fiscal quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 3 cents vs. 0 cents expected
- Revenue: $551 million vs. $540 million expected
Sales dropped to $551 million, down about 6% from $586 million a year earlier.
Under the direction of Stern, who took the helm in January, the connected fitness company has been finalizing its cost cuts and turning its attention back to growth now that it’s back to regularly generating free cash flow and operating profitably.
“Our intent is to go well beyond [cardio connected fitness]… we’ve got strength, we’ve got mental, mental wellbeing, nutrition and hydration and sleep and recovery,” Stern said. “We are focused on growth, but the growth needs to be profitable … both in top line growth as well as increased margins associated with that business as well.”
Last month, Peloton relaunched its product assortment, introduced a commercial equipment line and raised prices for both subscriptions and hardware ahead of the holiday shopping season.
The revamped assortment, touching its bike, rowing machine and treadmill products, features an AI-powered tracking camera, speakers, a 360-degree swivel screen and hands-free control, among other new features.
“Our launch of an entirely new product lineup with the cross training series, is a great reason for us to talk to our members and nonmembers alike,” Stern said.
Peloton is betting consumers will be willing to spend big on the products for flashy holiday gifts, either for themselves or a loved one. But just over a month into the launch, it remains unclear how they’re performing. The company’s first fiscal quarter ended the day before the new products were launched.
Across the retail industry, the personal electronics category has been under pressure.
While Peloton operates in a category of its own, shoppers have been pulling back on other big-ticket items and being more careful about where their dollars are going in an unsteady economic environment.
After Peloton’s last recall, the company said at the time that it saw higher-than-expected membership churn and costs as a result.
– CNBC’s Luke Fountain contributed to this report
Business
‘Made strong entry’: Amit shah hails semiconductor sector’s growth despite being ‘bit late’; confident of ‘exports soon’ – The Times of India
NEW DELHI: India would soon establish itself in the semiconductor industry by starting exports, even though it’s entry was late, said Union home minister Amit Shah.“We have made a strong entry into the semiconductor industry, although a bit late. In no time, we will not only become self-reliant in the semiconductor sector, but will also start exporting it,” he said, addressing the ‘Abhyudaya Madhya Pradesh Growth Summit’.Speaking at the summit, Shah highlighted Madhya Pradesh’s attractive geographical location and fertile land.He also inaugurated industrial projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore, on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s 101st birth anniversary. He remembered Vajpayee as “a great orator, a sensitive poet, a leader dedicated to public welfare and remained ‘ajatashatru’ (person without enemies) in politics.”He noted that even small investments in the state could yield substantial returns. He praised Madhya Pradesh’s transformation from a power-deficient state to one with surplus electricity. He also commended the state’s achievements in cleanliness, saying it has surpassed other states in this aspect.During the event, Shah also paid tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya on his birth anniversary and C Rajagopalachari on his death anniversary. The Growth Summit attracted 25,000 beneficiaries and thousands of entrepreneurs and investors. Officials confirmed that the industrial projects launched during the event will create 193,000 new jobs.Shah’s visit also included inaugurating the Gwalior Fair and dedicating the renovated Atal Museum to the public, further marking the celebrations of Vajpayee’s birth anniversary.
Business
Planning Your Taxes For 2026? What Freelancers And Gig Workers Should Know
Income doesn’t come regularly
Freelancers earn from different clients at different times, making it hard to know the final income figure early

Multiple clients mean scattered TDS
Tax is deducted by many payers under different sections, and details don’t always update together in AIS or Form 26AS.

Income details settle very late
Many payments and TDS entries appear only near the year-end, delaying tax calculations.

First-time taxpayers lack clarity
Young gig workers often don’t know ITR deadlines, advance tax rules, or penalties for late filing.

Paperwork isn’t ready on time
Forms like 16A, invoices, bank statements, and expense bills are often unorganised or missing.

TDS deducted ≠ filing done
A common myth is that if tax is already deducted, filing the return is optional. It’s not.

Refund expected, filing delayed
Many assume that if no tax is payable or refund is due, filing late won’t matter — but penalties still apply.

E-verification gets ignored
Returns filed but not verified within 30 days are treated as invalid, almost like not filing at all.

Portal issues at the last moment
Heavy traffic, OTP failures, and technical errors near deadlines push filings beyond the due date.

No regular income tracking system
Not maintaining client-wise records of invoices, payments, and TDS creates confusion at filing time.

Deductions are gathered too late
Proofs for insurance, mutual funds, PPF, health cover, or tuition fees are often collected at the last minute.
Business
SFIO probes IndusInd’s Rs 1,960 crore derivatives hole – The Times of India
MUMBAI: Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has opened a formal probe into IndusInd Bank after a Dec 23, 2025 letter triggered an investigation under the Companies Act, 2013, over accounting lapses tied to internal derivative trades.In a filing, the bank said SFIO, under the MCA, seeks information after the lender flagged on June 2 issues spanning internal derivatives, unsubstantiated “other assets/liabilities”, and microfinance interest/fee income. It disclosed the update on Dec 18, pledged full cooperation, and posted details on its website.Derivatives irregularities have hit P&L by about Rs 1,960 crore as of March 31, 2025, eroding reported net worth by roughly 2.3% as of Dec 2024. Earlier profits were overstated as notional gains flowed into P&L while losses sat parked as assets, inflating NII and earnings quality. The derivatives irregularities saw several members of the senior management stepping down with the board bringing in Rajiv Anand from Axis Bank to head the private lender.The bank recognised the losses, absorbed pain in its FY25 earnings which tipped the bank into a Q4 FY25 net loss after one-off write-offs/provisions. Capital/net worth took a 2–2.5% post-tax hit, trimming buffers and nudging growth appetite and capital pricing.The derivatives loss resulted in the shares of the bank sliding as investors reassessed earnings credibility and governance. The scrutiny also sharpened on the board/management/audit committees, intensifying regulatory pressure and SFIO oversight.
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