Author: Money Mechanics

By Joel Jose (Reuters) -Goldman Sachs on Monday upgraded its stance on global equities to “overweight” from “neutral” over the three-month horizon, citing improving economic momentum across regions, attractive valuations and growing support from monetary and fiscal policy. “We think that good earnings growth, Fed easing without a recession and global fiscal policy easing will continue to support equities,” Goldman analysts said in a note. The analysts held their rating at “overweight” for the next 12 months. Global equities have surged to record highs recently, driven by optimism that the U.S. Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates early enough…

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our analyst ratings page. Needham raised Monolithic Power Systems Inc (NASDAQ: MPWR) price target from $820 to $1,025. Needham analyst N. Quinn Bolton maintained a Buy rating. Monolithic Power shares closed at $887.55 on Friday. See how other analysts view this stock. Deutsche Bank raised the price target for Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ: LRCX) from $100 to $150. Deutsche Bank analyst Melissa Weathers upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy. Lam Research shares closed…

has been on a near parabolic run higher in the last few weeks and this has posed a number of questions. Have the well-documented naked shorts finally given up? When will we see all-time highs, and chiefly, is there enough physical Silver should there be a run on the bullion banks? Before answering these questions, first, we need to go back to a short history lesson that is extremely relevant to where we are today.  2008 Metals Bull RunIt is October 2008, the GFC is biting hard, sentiment is rock bottom, markets have crashed, and Silver drops to $8.4/oz. Over…

Smith Collection/gado | Archive Photos | Getty ImagesKimberly Blair, a San Diego-based wellness practitioner who specializes in grief counseling, noticed an uptick in “screen fatigue” among her clients, whom she had been counseling largely virtually.  So, she decided to open a storefront location and offer more in-person sessions. When she began casting about for locations, she found that there were many prime options because shopping center space was plentiful.”I was able to negotiate a fantastic monthly rent, but also a flexible lease term. Which in turn secures better outcomes for my clients who need in-person support, and also for my business…

Key Takeaways While more than one-third of Gen Zers think men should pay for dates, they’re also open to splitting the bill—with nearly one-quarter saying their open to divvying up costs. Rising costs and changing ideas of what counts as a “date” could be making ‘going Dutch’ a more common phenomenon. Clear communication about expectations is key, since assumptions about who pays can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. While men have traditionally been expected to pick up the tab on dates, as gender norms have shifted over the past few decades, so have expectations of who pays. A recent survey…

Stock futures gained early Monday after major indexes posted a losing week, but the dollar fell on fears of a possible government shutdown this week. Futures associated with the tech-heavy Nasdaq, benchmark S&P 500, and blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.6%, 0.5%, and 0.4%, respectively. The indexes closed higher Friday to snap a three-session losing streak after a key inflation report matched expectations, but nevertheless finished lower for the week. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the value of the greenback against a basket of foreign currencies, was down 0.2% to 97.97 and safe-haven gold advanced 1% to a record-high…

(Investing) – LONDON -Oil prices edged up on Friday, on track for a more than 4% weekly gain, as Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure prompted Moscow to curb fuel exports.  gained 23 cents to $69.65 a barrel by 1255 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by 33 cents at $65.31 a barrel. “The geopolitical risk premium, which has been steadily building over the last two months as Ukrainian drone strikes intensified, has now materialised into an actual supply shortage, much to the detriment of Europe, which is structurally short of distillates,” said PVM analyst Tamas Varga. Both…

Key Takeaways The next Federal Reserve policy committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28 and 29.The Fed is widely expected to cut the fed funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 3.75% to 4%.Fed officials are cutting rates because they’re concerned about signs of weakness in the labor market, and want to lower borrowing costs to encourage hiring. The Federal Reserve’s policy committee meets next on Oct. 28 and 29, and policymakers are widely expected to cut the central bank’s key interest rate to lower borrowing costs and prevent the shaky job market from…

Key Takeaways Warren Buffett turned a $13 million bet on American Express (AXP) during the 1963 salad oil scandal into one of his greatest returns. Buffett’s American Express bet marked his pivot away from Benjamin Graham’s playbook of buying statistically cheap or broken companies, toward his own strategy of buying quality businesses. Buffett targeted companies facing temporary crises—a strategy that defined the rest of his career. Academic research shows patient investors have some of the advantages Buffett used to make his big score with AXP in the 1960s. When American Express’s stock crashed from $60 to under $30 in 1963…

Key Takeaways Immigrants make up nearly a third of the long-term care workforce. The Trump administration’s immigration policies are worsening caregiver shortages.  Shortages could make it harder to find affordable elder care, just as baby boomers reach an age when they’re more likely to need it. Possible policy fixes include higher wages, funding for community-based elder care, and faster visas.   For now, find affordable long-term care by planning early, asking questions about a provider’s workforce stability, and seeking professional help.   Demand for elder care is set to skyrocket as baby boomers age, with the number of Americans 85 and…