Author: Money Mechanics

A soft earnings report pressured shares of the nation’s largest independent used car retailer, while a semiconductor giant extended its rally following reports of investment talks with another tech powerhouse. Major U.S. equities indexes lost ground Thursday, declining for a third straight day ahead of a key inflation report set for release Friday. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were down 0.5%, while the Dow ended 0.4% lower. See here for Investopedia’s full roundup of the day’s market action. CarMax (KMX) shares plunged 20%, falling the furthest of any stock in the S&P 500, after the used car retailer reported…

KEY TAKEAWAYS President Donald Trump is reportedly set to sign an executive order on Thursday that would help bring TikTok’s U.S. operations under American control, averting a ban on the popular Chinese-owned social media app.The American group set to control TikTok in the U.S. includes billionaires Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, Michael Dell, and Oracle, with the software company overseeing TikTok’s all-important algorithm. President Donald Trump is reportedly set to sign an executive order on Thursday that would help bring TikTok’s U.S. operations under American control, averting a ban on the popular Chinese-owned social media app. NBC News…

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) brought a considerable number of changes across a full spectrum of American institutions. With so much being discussed in the news, it can be easy for the important details to get lost in the noise.If you’re sticking to your retirement plan or are currently enjoying the retired life, the provisions in this legislation are worth paying attention to.Here are four important changes to consider and the steps to take in response. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

Depending on how you signed up, canceling Amazon Prime might be easier said than done. In fact, that’s one of the key issues in a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2023. The FTC lawsuit alleges that Amazon makes it easy to enroll in the shopping membership, but “knowingly complicated the cancellation process for Prime subscribers” who wanted to leave.While Amazon and the FTC agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement this week, the company denied any wrongdoing as part of the settlement terms. In Amazon’s motion to dismiss the complaint filed on October 18, 2023, the company…

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is down to $111,000 as debates intensify about whether this downtrend is the start of a bear market or a dip in an uptrend.What Happened: Popular trader Ansem urged investors to stack BTC aggressively if prices dip below $100,000 next year or at the start of 2026, with an exit window targeted for 2028. Ansem aligned with fellow trader Plur Daddy, who earlier argued that the 4-year cycle theory is outdated. While Plur sees upside within 3–6 months, Ansem expects a longer bearish period before a strong rally kicks off in mid-2026.Also Read: Bitcoin, XRP, Dogecoin Extend…

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025 (April, May, and June), according to the third estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 0.6 percent (revised).The increase in real GDP in the second quarter primarily reflected a decrease in imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, and an increase in consumer spending. These movements were partly offset by decreases in investment and exports.Real GDP was revised up 0.5 percentage point from the second estimate, primarily reflecting an…

U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON DC 20585 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 25, 2025 Tristan Abbey entered service today as the 11th Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Abbey will be responsible for directing the U.S. government’s energy statistical and analytical agency. “EIA’s role to provide objective energy data and analysis is critically important at a time of dynamic domestic and global markets,” Abbey said. “I’m thrilled to be joining the team, and I’m committed to ensuring the agency continues to provide independent and objective energy information for the American people and policymakers.” “I am grateful to President Trump…

In-brief analysis August 6, 2025 Data source: CME Group, Bloomberg L.P.Note: Refinery margin is calculated as the 3-2-1 crack spread on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, which represents the price of two barrels of gasoline and one barrel of distillate fuel oil minus three barrels of Brent crude oil. 2Q25=second quarter of 2025 Energy prices—along with other globally traded commodities, equities, and currencies—were more volatile in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25) amid significant uncertainty from concerns over economic growth as well as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The geopolitical uncertainty…

Arbol, a technology-led underwriter of parametric risk transfer, climate and weather insurance or reinsurance business, has launched a new parametric wildfire insurance product for commercial and residential properties in high-risk wildfire regions in the U.S., with coverage limits up to $10 million.The move extends Arbol’s expansion into new perils and geographies, and as per the firm, comes as part of a larger push to modernise climate risk transfer through vertically integrated infrastructure, combining product, technology, and capital to reach markets others can’t. According to the announcement, Arbol’s new wildfire parametric initiative, which will target California, Colorado, Arizona, and other Western…

Another Federal Reserve rate cut, another … rise in interest rates? That is the current dynamic across the Treasury yield curve — the real-time market rates — a week after the Fed’s first cut in policy interest rates in nearly a year. Many consumer loans, such as home equity and mortgages and credit cards — and even bank deposits, take their cues from bond yields. The key questions for investors now are: Why is this happening? And … what, if anything, should we do? The answers to both questions start with the bind the Fed finds itself in as it…