Author: Money Mechanics

This week’s Baker Hughes Rig Count shows that the U.S. increased by 1 last week, resulting in a total count of 544 rigs. Canada had no change over last week, resulting in a total Canadian count of 130 rigs. Breakdown by region Of the regions tracked by Baker Hughes, the Granite Wash and Haynesville regions experienced an increase this week. Meanwhile, 1 region experienced a decrease this week: The Cana Woodford is down 1, at 20. Major Basin Variances This Week +/- Ardmore Woodford 1 0 Arkoma Woodford 1 0 Barnett 1 0 Cana Woodford 20 -1 DJ-Niobrara 9 0…

An exciting piece of architectural history has arrived on the market in Texas in the form of a striking midcentury modern home designed by revered modernist architect Karl Kamrath. The five-bedroom Houston residence at 8 Tiel Way, which is on the market for $5.2 million, is tucked along the edge of a lush bayou and spans nearly 5,000 square feet of interior living space. But this home, in particular, carries an unusual legacy because it was not only one of Kamrath’s most “exceptional” designs—it also served as his family’s private residence, remaining in their hands for years before ever passing…

In many cases, when a market leader in a category raises prices, that clears the way for similar increases from its rivals. When Costcoraised its membership fees in Sept. 2024, for example, and did not see a drop in membership, that cleared the way for Sam’s Club to do the same this year. The pattern is consistent. When a market leader raises prices without losing customers, it often resets the ceiling for an entire industry. “The single most important decision in evaluating a business is pricing power,” Warren Buffet told the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2010. “If you’ve got…

Fed FOMC Meeting, Powell press conference, Big Tech earnings, and Iran war developments will be in focus this week. Apple is set for the spotlight with earnings and strong guidance expected this week. ExxonMobil faces headwinds from possible weak guidance and geopolitics. U.S. stocks ended mostly higher on Friday, with the and the Nasdaq Composite notching new record peaks as investors assessed signs of progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks, while a surge in Intel shares added further support. Source: Investing.com For the major averages, however, the week was mixed. The S&P 500 ended up about 0.6%, while the Nasdaq and…

Australian insurance giant Suncorp has entered into a five-year aggregate reinsurance arrangement commencing on June 30th, 2026, which will provide the firm with AUD $800 million of protection annually, and up to $2.4 billion in total protection across the 5-year period.As per the announcement, the attachment point for the aggregate cover is indexed to Suncorp’s growth in exposure over time and is set at $1,850 million for FY’27. This represents an attachment point of $50 million above the expected natural hazard allowance (NHA) for FY’27 of $1,800 million, excluding claims handling expenses (CHE) and profit commission. Suncorp also confirmed that…

In Connecticut, a homeowner hopes to use a density bonus rule in the state’s affordable housing law to turn a backyard barn into three separate apartments despite prickly opposition from neighbors.Rose Marino, who owns a single-family home on Putnam Park Road in the quiet town of Bethel, CT, has put forward a plan to build three one-bedroom units in a two-story barn situated on her 1.2-acre property.”I am not a big-time developer, or even in that realm,” Marino tells Realtor.com®. “I’m just a nanny who works in New Canaan trying to figure out a way to afford Connecticut, because it’s…

My solution: Double the purchase cap to at least $20,000 a year. By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Last week, TreasuryDirect again sent emails asking holders of savings bonds in gift boxes to deliver them as quickly as possible. I have written about this in the past (here, here, and here) but this email seems to step up the urgency. The gift box program is used almost exclusively by investors in Series I Savings Bonds, a highly attractive, very safe inflation-linked bond. For more on gift box basics, read this from TheFinanceBuff.com. I didn’t receive the email, because I delivered all our…

Nina Raemont/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeaways Your Apple Watch workout data might not be accurate.Calibrating your watch improves accuracy. Here’s how and why you should calibrate.People wear smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, to get iPhone-like functions on their wrists and to stay on top of their exercise and sleep data. By recording workouts or tracking daily activity with a smartwatch, you can get a clearer picture of your movement patterns and a more detailed idea of how many calories you’re burning each day. The device can accurately measure a wide range of activity metrics, including pace, heart…

(BOE Report) – U.S. LNG exporters have so far offset the drop in shipments from Qatar following Iranian attacks on its facilities and the closure of key Middle East shipping lanes, ensuring that total supplies remain at record highs despite the war. The on-again, off-again peace talks with Iran mean that the repair of damaged Qatari liquefied natural gas export sites remains a distant prospect, and could result in a years-long dent to supplies from the world’s third-largest producer. The attacks wiped out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity for up to five years, QatarEnergy’s CEO said last month. So…

Perched high above Montecito in one of the area’s most storied neighborhoods, a Mediterranean estate on the market for the first time in 20 years offers buyers a chance to own a piece of California history. Priced at $17 million, the expansive residence at 358 Woodley Road blends Pacific views and architectural grandeur with historical roots tied to the original Pepper Hill estate. The 8,000-square-foot home, built in 2003, sits on land that once belonged to a much larger property that dates back to the early-20th century. The site’s origins trace back to industrialist David Benton Jones, who developed Pepper…