Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)President Donald Trump has warned that “a whole civilization will die” if Iran does not accept his terms to end the war in the Middle East. All three main U.S. stock indexes gapped into the red at the opening bell on Tuesday, but trended higher before closing mixed as a now-familiar rhythm of “oil up, stocks down” appears to be reaching a crescendo.According to The New York Times, Iran told Pakistan it will no longer negotiate a ceasefire directly with the U.S. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard “is threatening escalating attacks on…

If you were counting on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates this year, JPMorgan’s chief economist has a message you may not want to hear. Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan, has forecast zero rate cuts through all of 2026, with the Fed’s next move being a 25 basis point rate hike in the third quarter of 2027, according to Yahoo Finance. That would bring the upper band of the federal funds rate to 4.00%. The current rate sits at 3.50% to 3.75%. The forecast puts JPMorgan squarely at odds with the Federal Reserve’s own projections and with…

The U.S. government is warning that Iran-backed hackers are escalating their tactics by targeting American critical infrastructure systems with the aim of causing disruption. In a joint advisory published Tuesday, the FBI, the National Security Agency, the U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA, and the U.S. Department of Energy collectively warned that Iranian government hackers have been exploiting internet-facing systems used across a range of sectors. These include water and waste-water utilities, energy, and local government facilities. The agencies did not specifically name any of the targets, but said that the hacks were aimed at causing “disruptive effects within the United States,”…

March 2026 HighlightsIn March 2026, Cboe FX Spot Average Daily Volume (ADV) reached $74.5 billion, a new all-time high, and a 42.9% increase from March 2025’s ADV of $52.1 billion.Cboe FX and Cboe SEF observed new single day records in March: $109.1 billion on March 3 for Cboe FX, and $6.7 billion on March 6 for Cboe SEF.Cboe SEF ADV1 topped $5.4 billion, the highest ADV recorded on our SEF, and a 101.9% increase from $2.7 billion in March 2025.At $29.2 billion, Cboe FX ECN Firm ADV2 accounted for 53.6% of the Spot ECN total, a new high-water mark, and…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Inflation’s always been top of mind for economists. But since June 2022, when the Consumer Price Index (CPI) hit its highest level in 40 years (9.1%!) and the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates to their highest level in over 20 years, it’s become a talking point for most folks.This is because inflation is a measure of our purchasing power. How much things cost and how quickly prices are rising directly impact not only how far a dollar will stretch for us, but also how far it will go for the companies that we invest in. And very…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Hedge funds have amassed a record number of short positions against European stocks, in a bet that the region will be hard hit by the economic fallout from the Iran war.The number of short disclosures against stocks listed in Europe increased to nearly 12,000 in the first three months of this year, according to figures from data provider Breakout Point. That is the highest level since short disclosure rules were introduced in 2012.Short positions are required to be disclosed when they reach…

European futures opened higher on Tuesday as markets are awaiting developments in Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened escalation and attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges if a deal is not reached and the Strait of Hormuz not opened by 8 p.m. eastern time today. The May 2026 contract of the Dutch TTF Natural Gas Futures, the European benchmark for gas trading, opened 3% higher in Amsterdam on Tuesday, with prices trading just above $58 (50 euros) per megawatt-hour (MWh). Since the war in the Middle East began and the closed Strait of Hormuz trapped about 20% of…

This Week In A Nutshell: With the Iran War stretching into its sixth week, mortgage rates will continue to ebb and flow with new developments. Additionally, markets will digest fresh inflation data for March this coming Friday. Upcoming Attractions   Any new developments in the Iran War that impact energy prices will have the largest impact on rates this week. Absent that, our main focus will be on the March CPI inflation data, which will be released on Friday. It will be our first look at inflation data since the Iran war began. Headline inflation is expected to rise sharply,…

(Oil Price) – Britain has urged some of the world’s biggest powers to adopt clean energy at a faster pace to boost energy security during a time of geopolitical turmoil. The United Kingdom’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, appealed to world leaders to accelerate the global green transition during the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, held in France from 26th to 27th March. The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy nations includes the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, along with the European ‌Union. Reeves attended the conference alongside U.K. Energy Minister Ed Miliband, who is well-known for his staunch support for renewable…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Humans first began farming some 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, making arable land one of our very oldest “managed assets.”Today, farmland’s global role is more indispensable than ever, to meet the life needs of a swelling global population and, increasingly, soften the harmful impacts of a changing climate.Farmland also offers a remarkable portfolio opportunity that, while traditionally accessible to institutions, is becoming more available to the individual wealth marketplace, as well. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues…