Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Inflation data for August comes ahead of a key interest rate decision later this month.Apple is expected to unveil its iPhone 17 at an event this week. Nvidia, Meta, and Microsoft are among the companies presenting at a major technology investment conference.Financial reports from Oracle and GameStop highlight the corporate earnings calendar. August inflation data, updates from top tech firms, and earnings from the original meme stock darling are among the events that could move markets this week.  The first look at August inflation—the Consumer Price Index—will show how price pressures are impacting the economy with Federal Reserve…

Dividend stocks aren’t typically as affected by broad market volatility. Sure, they might follow similar patterns, but for the most part, they don’t tend to swing quite as wildly. Part of the reason for this is that investors who hold dividend stocks usually do so for the long term. The result? Dividend stocks tend to lag the S&P 500. Notice I said “tend”? I said that becuase, as someone who dislikes absoluteness of any kind, I’m always out there looking for ways to buck the trend. And today, I found a handful of Dividend Kings – companies that have increased…

The U.S. government’s effort to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through a $30 billion IPO has prompted the Federal Housing Finance Agency to rehire employees it laid off earlier this year.FHFA Rehires Key Economists And Executives Ahead Of Historic $30 Billion IPOThe FHFA, led by President Donald Trump–appointed director Bill Pulte, had cut roughly 30% of its workforce in the spring and summer, including economists and board members of the mortgage giants.Sources familiar with the matter said several of those employees have now been asked to return as the agency prepares for the historic share sale, as reported by…

Gold, like the stock and currency markets, had been experiencing lower volatility due to the holiday period, but this is changing with the onset of a new month. Driven by strong demand, gold has reached new historic highs, now priced at $3,600 per ounce. This rise is fueled by several fiscal, monetary, and trade policy factors that benefit buyers. Key among these is the anticipated continuation of monetary easing by the Federal Reserve and the increase in federal government debt. Additionally, President Donald Trump’s controversial decision to remove Fed member Lisa Cook is seen as an attempt to undermine the…

As we have reported, MUNI sales are up ~21% this year compared to last year’s volume. State and local governments have sold $153 billion in new debt in the second quarter, already the largest ever, with just four trading days remaining in the period. The markets have absorbed this paper well; longer-dated paper is still hovering around 5%. However, the 20-year paper seems to be moving down slightly in yield despite this record issuance. A small city in Washington State filed a rare municipal bankruptcy after failing to reach an agreement with a developer over a $26 million court judgment.…

Newly manufactured cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, on March 27, 2025.Issei Kato | ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday stateside to implement a trade deal with Japan, with 15% baseline tariffs on most Japanese goods, including autos.The deal had been reached in July after months of negotiations, with Washington and Tokyo continuing to haggle over details for weeks before it was signed.As part of the deal, Tokyo agreed to invest $550 billion in projects selected by the U.S. government and ramp up its purchase of American agricultural products, such as…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Coros Nomad is available now in Green, Brown, and Dark Grey for $349.It’s built to withstand the elements with detailed metrics and focused journal utilities for fishing.There is no speaker to playback voice notes, no solar charging, and no LED flashlight to see in the dark. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.I’ve had the opportunity to test a lot of smartwatches, but it’s still tough to find one watch that covers all the bases. I find myself always looking to the next one to fill the gaps. With every new model, brands shoot for unique…

Key Takeaways Broadcom shares surged in premarket trading Friday after the chipmaker posted better-than-expected quarterly results, boosted by strong AI demand.The price looks set to break out above a symmetrical triangle, signaling a continuation of the stock’s current uptrend.The measured move technique projects a bullish target of $349. Investors should watch crucial support levels on Broadcom’s chart around $282, $265 and $247. Broadcom (AVGO) shares surged Friday morning after the chipmaker posted quarterly results that topped Wall Street expectations amid booming AI demand. The company announced late Thursday that it generated $15.95 billion in revenue in its fiscal third quarter,…

(Oil Price)– American LNG exports hit a monthly record in August as newly started-up projects gradually ramp up output and shipments, and facilities ended planned maintenance. The August record will be beaten very soon as new export projects are close to launch and the supportive Trump Administration continues to approve proposed plants. Three U.S. LNG projects have taken final investment decision (FID) this year, and more are in the pipeline to do so in the coming months. The case for increased LNG exports remains solid—ample supply from U.S. domestic shale gas production, growing need for U.S. LNG, especially in Europe…

Key Takeaways The U.S. economy lost 13,000 jobs in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday, downwardly revising its estimate of a gain of 14,000 jobs. It was the first time since 2020 that the U.S. economy lost jobs.The labor market returned to growth in July but grew far more slowly in August than economists expected.Employers have curtailed hiring as tariffs push up prices and squeeze consumer budgets. For the first time since the pandemic, the U.S. economy had a month of negative job creation.The U.S. economy added 22,000 jobs in August, down from 79,000 in July, the Bureau…