Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Nike shares jumped Wednesday morning after the sports apparel and equipment maker posted surprise sales growth and topped Wall Street’s earnings expectations.Over the past month, the stock has traded lower within a falling wedge but looks set to break out from the pattern.Investors should watch important overhead areas on Nike’s chart around $80, $90 and $98, while also monitoring major support levels near $71 and $63. Nike (NKE) shares jumped in early trading Wednesday after the sports apparel and equipment maker posted surprise sales growth and topped Wall Street’s earnings expectations. The company said revenue grew 1% in…

Key Takeaways CEOs across the U.S. may finally get what they want: workers back in the office—but it will cost them.A new survey found that two-thirds of Americans would give up remote work, with 60% of that group needing a 10% or higher raise before stepping back in the office.A number of the biggest companies in the U.S. have tightened or abandoned their hybrid work policies in the last year, with some CEOs saying less work is done working remotely. Would you swap your pajama pants and couch for a suit and a cubicle if it meant more money? Remote…

UK retailers are to pass on most of the costs from the UK’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, the country’s principal retail trade body has said. According to a new survey from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which says the EPR is set to “cost industry billions”, more than 80% of costs from the new regulations are likely to be passed onto consumers. Under the EPR scheme, producers must report how much packaging they put into the market and pay associated rates per tonnage. The legislation necessary to enact EPR came into force on 1 January while the fees…

In-brief analysis October 1, 2025 In 2023, Texas consumed more energy than any other state. Total energy consumption in Texas was twice as much as in California, the second-highest consuming state, and more than three times as much as in Florida, the third-highest consuming state, according to recently released data in our State Energy Data System (SEDS). U.S. total energy use peaked in 2007, and between 2007 and 2023, Texas’s energy consumption increased 21%, while U.S. energy use decreased 5%. According to our SEDS data, most of the energy consumption growth in Texas is attributable…

Back MarketFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysRefurbished tech marketplace Back Market opened a US store.Consumers can test used devices before purchasing them. Back Market aims to curb the upgrade cycle and reduce costs.Back Market, the online refurbished tech marketplace, offers buyers who want to save money on electronics (and reduce e-waste) good-as-new products repaired by experts. Starting today, the retailer has taken the process to its first-ever brick-and-mortar store, where buyers can shop for secondhand phones and laptops in person — just like at an Apple Store. Also: Is a refurbished MacBook viable in 2025? I did the math,…

Key Takeaways Traditional retirement planning focuses solely on the goal of retirement, while “die with zero” planning focuses on achieving many goals throughout your life. “Die with zero” encourages spending on memorable experiences and generous giving during your lifetime, but it doesn’t allow you to leave an inheritance to your loved ones and comes with the risk of running out of money in retirement. It’s possible to balance traditional retirement planning with a “die with zero” mindset to maximize enjoyment throughout your life while minimizing financial risk in retirement. Traditional retirement planning encourages saving throughout your working years, often by…

(BOE Report)– Liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be European oil major Shell’s biggest contribution to the energy industry over the next decade in terms of value and as it seeks to cut emissions from fossil fuel production, CEO Wael Sawan said on Monday. Sawan has increased Shell’s focus on natural gas to improve the company’s financial performance against its peers in Europe and the U.S. since taking over as CEO in January 2023, pivoting away from renewables by pulling out of a number of wind, solar and other low-carbon ventures. Sawan said he believes LNG is one of the most…

Stock futures pointed lower and safe-haven gold surged to a new record high Wednesday after lawmakers in Congress failed to pass a measure keeping the U.S. government funded by a midnight deadline. Futures associated with the benchmark S&P 500, tech-heavy Nasdaq, and blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.5%, 0.5%, and 0.4%, respectively. The three major stock indexes ended higher for a third straight session Tuesday, with the Dow closing at a record high. Gold futures rose 1% to about $3,910 after earlier Wednesday touching a record $3,922.70. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the value of the greenback against a basket of…

Key Takeaways Moving to a state without income tax might sound like a money saver, but once you factor in property taxes, insurance, and sales tax, the reality could be different. Sales tax, the cost of visiting family, and the local cost of living may be more expensive than expected. Before making a move, it’s worth weighing all these factors together and running the numbers so you know which state truly fits your budget and retirement lifestyle. For retirement, you might assume that moving to a state with low or no income tax would allow your money to stretch further.…

Nowadays, trading stocks is as frictionless as it has ever been. You spend a few minutes opening up a brokerage account (often for free), fund it, then do your trading via a couple clicks of a mouse or a few taps of a smartphone screen.Rarely is another human being involved in the process, and when one is, it’s often just for technical support when something goes wrong on the brokerage platform.That’s wildly different than how things worked decades ago. You needed a lot more capital to work with, for one, plus you actually had to pay (usually hefty!) fees to…