Author: Money Mechanics

French President Emmanuel Macron has voiced apprehensions about Russian President Vladimir Putin potentially manipulating President Donald Trump.On Friday, Macron expressed his concerns amid the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia. Last week Trump set a deadline for Putin to consent to bilateral discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to resolve the conflict between their countries. Despite this, the Kremlin has yet to show any inclination towards this course of action.Trump has forewarned of “consequences” if the proposed meeting does not occur. However, Macron, along with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has cast doubt on the success of this initiative. During a…

Signed contracts to buy existing homes, known as pending sales, were weaker in July compared with June, and were canceled at the highest rate since at least 2017.The monthly pending home sales index from the National Association of Realtors dropped 0.4% in July from June, but was still 0.7% higher from July of last year. Mortgage rates in July were moving slightly higher, which could account for some of the drop. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage started July at 6.67% and then moved to 6.85% by the middle of the month and ended July at 6.75%,…

The Casely Love Song Lavender Heart Case with the Lavender Heart Power Pod.  Kayla Solino/ZDNETLabor Day weekend is here, and one of my favorite mobile accessory brands is celebrating the incoming fall season with serious savings on all their cases — including the newest fall and Halloween cases. It’s the perfect time to (pumpkin) spice up your smartphone during Casely’s Labor Day sale. There are tons of designs to choose from. Also: The best Labor Day deals live now Prices start at $30 per case; your second case is free. You can potentially snag two phone cases for $15 a piece. Shipping…

We recently published 11 Latest Stocks That Jim Cramer Just Talked About. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) is a home furnishing and associated products retailer. Its shares are flat year-to-date, primarily due to a 5.2% dip in August. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM)’s shares fell after the firm’s second-quarter earnings report and an announcement by President Trump that he would start a major tariff investigation into furniture items entering the US. Here is what Cramer said about Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM): “If you want to know who was best yesterday, and I know…

Precious metals are shining this year, with being now one of the best-performing asset YTD, with closing in on its heels.IntroductionGold occupies a special place in human history as the quintessential haven asset; with evidence of humans attributing value to gold dating back to the Varna Necropolis 6500 years ago. Precious metals serve many purposes from jewellery to high tech, yet perhaps most important is their ability to preserve investors’ wealth in times of uncertainty. Central to gold and silver’s value in times of tumult is their tangibility. Compared to other more “synthetic” assets, investors are given confidence by the…

What will be the effect of ‘big beautiful’ tax refund checks? By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Last week I read a report by David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, that mirrored some of my concerns that sizable federal tax refunds could set off a short-lived inflation surge in 2026. Kelly’s report is titled, “The Investment Implications of the Refund Surge.” It begins with this: On August 7th, with little fanfare, the IRS announced that, as part of its phased implementation of the OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), it would not be adjusting W2 or 1099 forms for…

Nvidia Corp. NVDA CEO Jensen Huang believes artificial intelligence could trigger a shift to four-day work weeks, but cautioned that workers will paradoxically become busier than ever as artificial intelligence accelerates business execution and idea generation.Check out the current price of NVDA stock here.AI Revolution Promises Shorter Weeks, Intensified PaceSpeaking on Fox Business following Nvidia’s record $46.74 billion quarterly earnings, Huang positioned the world “at the beginning of the AI revolution” that could fundamentally reshape work patterns.“I have to admit that I’m afraid to say that we are going to be busier in the future than now,” Huang told host…

State personal income increased 34.2 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter of 2020, an acceleration from the 4.1 percent increases in the first quarter, according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (table 1). Personal income increased in every state and the District of Columbia ranging from 15.3 percent in the District of Columbia to 76.3 percent in Massachusetts. Increases in personal current transfer receipts more than offset decreases in earnings and in property income (chart 1). The increase in transfer receipts includes new government relief payments provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and…

Weekly housing inventory data In recent years, our weekly inventory data typically reached its highest point in October or November, which is later than in the pre-COVID era. However, around mid-June, when mortgage rates began to decline, I observed a slight shift in the data. If you had asked me whether I expected inventory to decrease in August, given that mortgage rates were still at 6.50% and higher, I would have said no. Yet, that is exactly what occurred. Currently, year-over-year inventory growth has dropped from recent highs of 33% to 22%, despite mortgage rates not yet approaching 6%. If…

Taco Bell’s chief digital officer says the company is having an “active conversation” about when to use and not to use AI. The company has apparently rolled out voice AI-powered ordering at more than 500 drive-throughs, leading to unflattering viral moments like someone ordering 18,000 water cups in order to “bypass” the AI and get connected to a human server. Chief Digital and Technology Officer Dane Matthews told The Wall Street Journal that even he has mixed experiences with technology: “Sometimes it lets me down, but sometimes it really surprises me.” Overall, it sounds like Taco Bell is still deciding…