Author: Money Mechanics

I was hoping to relax after my visit to Rome, but the equity markets are currently in free during the Sunday night futures sessions. At the time of writing, the main U.S. equity markets are down 15% or so over three trading days (including Sunday). Although this is certainly an eye-opener, this is not yet a financial crisis. (We are in an economic crisis thanks the White House brain trust, of course.) Equity markets are almost entirely secondary market trading — owners of existing shares flip them back and forth amongst themselves. Very little capital is directly raise in the equity…

Chen ZhaoChen Zhao is the head of economics research, where she produces research on the housing market for public and internal audiences. Previously, she was an executive director leading housing finance and financial markets research at the JPMorgan Chase Institute. Prior to joining JPMCI, Chen was an economics consultant at Analysis Group, Inc., where she worked on financial litigation cases and led teams conducting health economics and outcomes research on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. While in graduate school, Chen was with the Center for Economic Studies and the Social Economic and Housing Statistics Division at the US Census Bureau, where…

Nina Raemont/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.We’re hours away from one of the biggest tech events of the year. Apple’s “Awe-dropping” iPhone event takes place on Tuesday in Cupertino, where the tech giant will reveal its latest handsets and devices. Rumors swirl about Apple’s thinnest iPhone, new AirTags, and three new Apple Watch drops.As a health wearables editor, the latter particularly excites me. In the lead-up to Apple’s event, I’ve rounded up several Apple Watch rumors, like the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s satellite connectivity upgrades or hypertension monitoring. Also: Apple iPhone 17 event live blog: The biggest announcements we’re…

Major U.S. stock index futures pointed slightly up Tuesday, a day after the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) advanced 0.5% to close at a fresh record high. Nasdaq 100 futures were 0.1% higher about two hours before the opening bell, and those associated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and S&P 500 (SPX) were up 0.1% and less than 0.1%, respectively. Investors will be watching for news about the latest iPhones and other products from an Apple (AAPL) event today, as well as presentations from fellow tech giants Meta Platforms (META) and Broadcom (AVGO) at a Goldman Sachs conference. Oracle (ORCL) is slated…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Anglo American has struck a deal to buy Canada’s Teck Resources, creating a $53 billion copper giant at a time when electricity demand by data centers to feed the AI boom is soaring.Copper prices have climbed about 15% since the start of the year, but have come off record highs after President Donald Trump’s 50% import levies on the metal kicked in at the start of August.Shareholders of Anglo American will own around 62.4% of Anglo Teck while the Canadian firm’s shareholders will have roughly 37.6%. Anglo American has struck a deal to buy Canada’s Teck Resources, creating a $53…

If you’ve been waiting for another lively day in trading of QuantumScape’s stock, your wait is over. Shares of QuantumScape (QS), which is developing batteries for electric vehicles, were recently up 20% to around $9.50. They still have a way to go to reach summer highs—in July they closed above $14—but the move is welcome news to investors who were wondering what might be next after watching the stock’s summer spike, which at the low end saw the shares back below $8. Today’s move was powered by the news that the company, along with Volkswagen’s battery company PowerCo, demonstrated its…

Key Takeaways Columbus’s central location and proximity to John Glenn Columbus International Airport make it a convenient travel hub. The city’s low cost of living can help make room in the budget for trips, especially the housing costs, which are roughly 38% below the national average. Residents enjoy big-city amenities, including accessible health care and a vibrant art scene, without much of the usual large metro drawbacks, like high prices and heavy traffic. Columbus offers outdoor recreation opportunities year-round, with four distinct seasons but relatively mild weather. When you picture your post-work years, do you see yourself going on frequent…

Key Takeaways Students today face record tuition, mounting debt, and shrinking educational options as universities turn to risky financial strategies to offset declining government support. As the new school year began, the University of Chicago cut staff and 19 PhD programs, following years of poor investment returns and mounting debt. The university’s endowment bets on hedge funds, private equity, and even crypto have lagged behind the market, leaving tuition dollars to cover the budget gap. Servicing its debt now consumes the equivalent of more than four-fifths of annual undergraduate tuition revenue, increasing costs for students. After raising tuition by more…

Today’s article was prompted by the chief human resources officer (CHRO) at a Texas-based agricultural sales company wanting to discuss a topic that she feels would be valuable for college students, recent graduates and new hires.”I have been in HR for over 30 years at a company that places high value on a supportive, positive work environment. Never have I seen so many recent hires let go — some within a week! I am speaking of Gen Z, born from 1997 through 2012.”Over and over again, we find some of them completely unprepared for actual employment and lacking fundamental social…

Geopolitical shocks — terrorist acts, wars or military action — can give your portfolio a significant negative charge. The leading geopolitical source of market instability in 2025 has been the Middle East, as in years past. Israel’s decision to attack nuclear facilities in Iran in an attempt to retard that country’s weaponization efforts prompted a 1.1% drop in the S&P 500 index on June 13.Among the losers that day, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, were leisure-travel companies Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and Carnival Corp. (CCL), which each fell about 5%. Other travel and leisure companies that fell at…