Author: Money Mechanics

After a blistering and sustained rally sparked by the breakout of war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, prices have fallen precipitously due to record-high U.S. production, warm-than-anticipated winters, and advances in drilling technology (which helped lead to a supply/demand imbalance). Over the past five years, natural gas and natural gas proxies like the US Natural Gas Fund ETF (NYSE:) have fallen nearly 60%, and the commodity has lived up to its reputation as being the “widow maker.” Image Source: TradingView However, after a sharp, cold-driven surge, warmer outlooks for February have lowered short-term demand expectations, leading to a 15%…

It took me less than two minutes to disable the speaker on Apple’s new AirTag.  Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Stalkers can disable AirTag speakers to make them harder to find.I disabled the speaker in two minutes with basic tools.Apple could still push an update to detect tampering.I love Apple AirTags. I have a lot of them in use, and they save me no end of hassles when I’ve put my keys down somewhere stupid, as well as no end of worry when traveling.They are, without doubt, the best finder…

(Investing) – WASHINGTON – The United States and Mexico on Wednesday unveiled a 60-day plan to develop coordinated trade policies aimed at mitigating vulnerabilities in critical mineral supply chains, including possible price floors for certain mineral imports. The plan, which includes no specific mention of China and its chokehold on processing of many such minerals, calls for the two nations to consult on including price floors in a binding plurilateral agreement on trade in critical minerals. Separately, Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday unveiled plans to marshal allies into a preferential trade bloc for critical minerals as Washington escalates efforts to…

Key Takeaways Financial experts recommend keeping one to two months of expenses in checking.That’s enough to cover bills and avoid overdrafts, without letting your cash sit idle.With high-yield savings accounts paying 4% or more interest compared with checking’s near-zero rates, the cost of keeping a bloated checking balance has rarely been higher. Keeping too much money in your checking account costs you lost interest, while keeping too little money risks overdraft fees. Here’s what experts say is the right balance. The money you keep “just in case” in your checking account might be costing you money. With the average checking…

Key Takeaways Graduate students pursuing careers as mental health counselors or lawyers are expected to have the highest number of job openings in the next several years compared to other fields that require a master’s degree.These master’s degrees may be a good option for the increasing number of recent bachelor’s degree graduates who are struggling to find work in the slowing labor market. Recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree, but having a hard time finding a job? Going to graduate school in these fields may lead you to some better prospects. This year, the labor market has been slow to…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. February 04, 2026 Federal Reserve Board finalizes hypothetical scenarios for its annual stress test and votes to maintain the current stress test-related capital requirements until public feedback can be considered For release at 4:30 p.m. EST The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday finalized the hypothetical scenarios for its annual stress test, which helps ensure that large banks can continue to lend to households and businesses even in a severe recession. The final scenarios…

Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE:UUUU) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shed light on recently. During the lightning round, a caller inquired about the stock, and Cramer commented: No, no, we want to stay away from that. If we want nuclear power, we have to buy GEV. That’s the one you want, okay? Their nuclear, ahead of everybody else. I wish you could buy Westinghouse individually. That’s owned by Brookfield. That’s a good company, too. But I’ve gotta tell you, Energy Fuels, I have to say no to… It just isn’t the way you play it, so to speak. Photo…

A ‘help wanted’ advertisement is displayed in Manhattan on Jan. 9, 2026, in New York City.Spencer Platt | Getty ImagesThe January jobs report delayed by the brief government shutdown will be released next week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday.The closely watched report now will come out Feb. 11, five days later than its original release date, according to a revised schedule.In addition, the BLS will release the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey on Thursday, after it originally had been scheduled for Tuesday. There are other delays as well. The consumer price index for January now will be…

Anthropic’s Super Bowl commercial, one of four ads the AI lab dropped on Wednesday, begins with the word “BETRAYAL” splashed boldly across the screen. The camera pans to a man earnestly asking a chatbot (obviously intended to depict ChatGPT) for advice on how to talk to his mom. The bot, portrayed by a blonde woman, offers some classic bits of advice. Start by listening. Try a nature walk! And then twists into an ad for a fictitious (we hope!) cougar-dating site called Golden Encounters. Anthropic finishes the spot by saying that while ads are coming to AI, they won’t be…

(Oil Price) – The oil price decline over the past year has started to dent Big Oil’s earnings, which have slipped from the 2022 and 2023 highs. The persistently low oil prices at about $60 per barrel in the past months, compared to $100 in 2022 and $80 in 2023 and 2024, signal that part of the shareholder returns of the European oil majors may not be sustainable going forward. Europe’s top oil firms may start sacrificing some of their payouts by announcing in the coming weeks cuts to their share buybacks amid the lower oil prices, analysts say. Stronger…