Author: Money Mechanics

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.It was both a bad week for Meta Platforms, and a great one. The Facebook owner’s shares fell 10 per cent after it reported earnings on Wednesday, yet its sales and profit are growing at what, for normal companies, would inspire jubilation. This contradiction isn’t so strange, because there are really two Metas: the one that exists, and the one Mark Zuckerberg is building. One somewhat offsets the other.Look from a distance and Meta is a surprisingly simple business. Almost all of…

(Image credit: Toronto Star / Contributor)A home sale falling through can be frustrating and discouraging, especially after you’ve already started planning your next move. With homes sitting longer on the market and more deals falling through due to financing hiccups, inspection surprises or buyer cold feet, many sellers are finding themselves back at square one.But relisting isn’t just about putting your home back online and hoping for a better outcome. In today’s market, buyers are more cautious, and listings get scrutinized quickly. The good news?A thoughtful reset can put you back in a strong position. Here’s how to relist your…

(Image credit: Getty Images)After more than two decades writing about retirement — first at Fidelity Investments and now as an independent financial writer and coach — I recently crossed an important threshold:I turned 65.For most of my career, retirement was something I analyzed from the outside. I interviewed economists, portfolio managers and retirement specialists about how people build wealth — and eventually live off it. 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 CLICK FOR FREE ISSUE Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free…

Dividend payments from UK companies jumped sharply in the first three months of 2026, raising hopes that payouts from London-listed companies might finally be turning the corner after years of stagnation.And the surge in energy prices driven by the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz could push payments higher still by aiding oil companies, a key dividend-paying sector, with any negative impacts potentially pushed out to 2027 or 2028. Total payouts rose 21.1 per cent to £16.4bn in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year, the highest Q1 figure since 2021, according to Computershare’s UK Dividend…

Next week’s earnings from Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple will be a major test for the market’s reliance on mega‑cap tech. With these companies holding significant weight in major indices, their results will undoubtedly influence broader market trends. Investors will particularly focus on how they are balancing growth investments with operational efficiency, especially in areas like AI development and cloud infrastructure. With over $15 trillion in combined market cap, Microsoft (NASDAQ:), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:), Alphabet (NASDAQ:), Amazon (NASDAQ:), and Apple (NASDAQ:) will deliver results next week that could set the tone for the broader market’s next move. Source: Investing.com…

In this edition of The Price Point—a weekly series where Redfin data journalists explore current housing inventory across a rotating combination of budgets and metro areas—we’re looking at the million-dollar market. The $1 million price point was once synonymous with luxury—but as home prices continue to rise, it’s increasingly tagged on more conventional properties. Still, as with any price point, geography does a lot of heavy lifting; the same budget opens entirely different doors depending on where you look. This week, our lens is pointed on three distinct markets: Asheville, NC; Bend, OR; and Richmond, VA. Each offers a version…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Love might be priceless, but weddings certainly aren’t. If you’re footing the bill for your kid’s big day (or for your own nuptials), it’s important not to allow the age-old wedding tradition of “something borrowed” to mean long-term debt that you’ll carry for years.Weddings can be expensive, but they don’t have to become financial burdens that stick around like an uninvited guest at the buffet.The modern wedding comes with inflation, not just flowers The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is around $36,000, a number that has consistently inched up in the past few years.…

Americans have never owed more on their homes. With interest rates and home prices climbing steadily for years, mortgage debt has become the defining financial burden of a generation—and new data shows just how heavy that load has become. Surprisingly, the states where that debt is growing fastest aren’t coastal hot spots like California or New York—they’re such places as Alaska, Delaware, and even Kentucky and Alabama.Currently, mortgage debt is by far the biggest category of debt for Americans, with the average household owing about $109,000 and our total balance reaching $13.2 trillion, according to WalletHub. The personal finance site ranked all…

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary – Moby Operational Context and Strategic Positioning Performance was characterized by a divergence between 11% subscription growth and lower-than-expected product revenues, primarily due to a comprehensive go-to-market (GTM) model reset. The GTM transition involved reassigning account managers and optimizing channel strategies, which created short-term disruption in sales execution rhythm, particularly within the appliance business. Management attributes the product revenue miss to internal execution friction rather than macroeconomic factors, noting that the transition is a deliberate move to scale for long-term multi-pillar growth. The emerging technology portfolio, including Email Security, CTEM,…

miners’ stocks are revaluing higher, normalizing into a new higher-price regime. Technically this is evident in their current high consolidation after soaring last year. The miners’ fantastic fundamentals at these lofty prevailing gold prices also more than justify much-higher stock prices. This sector’s growing market capitalization as it revalues is bullish, expanding funds’ interest in gold stocks and willingness to invest. As January 2025 dawned almost 16 months ago, I wrote an essay predicting last year would prove gold stocks’ revaluation year. At the time that thesis was hardcore contrarian, as gold stocks’ performance in 2024 was shockingly-poor. merely eked…