Author: Money Mechanics

(World Oil)– Canadian oil sands companies have found a way to ramp up production in the face of oil prices: curtailing lengthy repairs to equipment.   Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Imperial Oil Ltd. and others are extending maintenance cycles to two-years from one, which saves on capital expenditure, increases output and effectively offsets declining profits from crude prices that have fallen 11% in the past year. Suncor Energy Inc., meanwhile, completed a major coke-drum replacement at its Base Plant more than 3 weeks faster than planned, allowing the company to cut capex guidance by C$400 million in 2025. The efficiency…

Key Takeaways Intel on Monday said Japanese investment giant SoftBank had agreed to buy $2 billion of the chipmaker’s stock, boosting hope on Wall Street that the Trump administration and allies will throw the beleaguered chipmaker a lifeline.Tech analyst Patrick Moorhead said the SoftBank deal may pave the way for more deals with potential foundry customers, and could signal SoftBank’s own chip ambitions.UBS analysts said in a note Tuesday that Intel stock could reach $40—up from $25 on Tuesday—if the White House can entice companies to contract with Intel’s foundries. Intel (INTC) shares jumped on Tuesday as investors responded to…

Key Takeaways Economic uncertainty has deterred homeowners from doing larger renovations, though the outlook may be getting clearer now that a tax policy is in place, Home Depot CEO Edward Decker said.Still, the home improvement supplier said its forecast assumes there won’t be a resurgence in projects that require borrowing.Relatively high interest rates remain a hurdle, CFO Richard McPhail said. Homeowners may have reason to be more comfortable financing renovations, but Home Depot isn’t counting on a shift in their mindset. Some of the economic uncertainty giving homeowners pause faded when the federal government enacted a tax policy, Home Depot…

Key Takeaways The Fed will likely cut interest rates next month, lowering what savers can earn on cash in the bank. Right now, top high-yield savings and money market accounts pay up to 5.00%. High-yield checking accounts can pay even more, if you’re willing to meet a few requirements. The best nationwide CDs can lock in today’s mid-4% rates for months or years, protecting you from future Fed cuts. A smart strategy is pairing a flexible account with one or more CDs, keeping cash accessible while maximizing returns. The full article continues below these offers from our partners. Interest Rates…

The first days of public trading for Figma (NYSE: FIG) have been a study in market extremes. After being priced at $33 per share for its Initial Public Offering (IPO), the stock exploded, surging over 250% to a high of $142.92 on its first day. This euphoria was quickly met with a dose of reality, as the stock saw a sharp correction in the following sessions. Volatility has left investors asking a critical question: Is Figma a revolutionary company priced for a perfect future, or a high-risk investment whose initial hype has outpaced its fundamentals? A detailed examination of the…

Expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses totaled $151.0 billion in 2024, according to preliminary statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Expenditures decreased $24.9 billion, or 14.2 percent, from $176.0 billion (revised) in 2023 and were below the annual average of $277.2 billion for 2014–2023. As in previous years, acquisitions of existing U.S. businesses accounted for most of the expenditures.Expenditures in 2024 for acquisitions were $143.0 billion, expenditures to establish new U.S. businesses were $6.3 billion, and expenditures to expand existing foreign-owned businesses were $1.8 billion. Planned total expenditures, which include…

Although the Canadian bond bears had some excitement a few years ago, the recent experience has been quite subdued despite a certain amount of macroeconomic fireworks (figure above).My eyeballing of the Canadian curve suggests that it is pricing a plausible macroeconomic scenario: the economy faces weakness due to a certain someone south of the border hammering out tariff rate posts, but the weakness is somewhat manageable, and possibly only mild cuts are needed. Supply chain disruptions and tariffs might put some upward pressure on prices, but that would be offset by the prospect of weaker growth.This puts the 10-year Government…

Trimmed CPI – Created by Bing AIInflation is one of the most important indicators that economists, policymakers, and financial markets monitor to understand the health of the economy. However, inflation data can often be “noisy”, with prices for some goods and services swinging wildly from month to month. This can be due to supply shocks, seasonal changes, or temporary anomalies. For instance, a frost in California can drive up the price of Orange Juice, a war in the Middle East can spike the price of oil, or rumors of a new tariff can affect the cost of electronics from China.To…

Key Takeaways Economists said there’s no turnaround in sight for a housing market that’s short on properties and long on costs.Housing starts rose in July, but building permits were lower. This indicates that builders will likely be unable to sustain their momentum in the coming months.Home sales in July were the slowest in more than a decade, as homes stayed on the market an average of 43 days. Despite the slow pace of home sales, inventory dropped, as frustrated sellers pulled houses off the market amid affordability pressures for buyers. Homebuilders were busier in July, but are still having trouble selling…

Key Takeaways Loan availability can reduce the psychological barrier to joining a 401(k), especially for first-time savers.Costs are often lower than credit cards or personal loans, but lost investment growth can be significant.Among the risks, leaving a job can force immediate repayment, risking taxes and penalties if you can’t pay back the balance. Many retirement experts warn against borrowing from your 401(k), but for some workers—especially lower-income or first-time savers—the option to take a loan can make all the difference in paying off high-interest debt or whether they join a retirement plan at all. According to Vanguard, 80% of the…