Author: Money Mechanics

(By Oil & Gas 360) Part II – Oil and gas companies once measured competitive advantage in barrels, acreage, and reserves; now they are increasingly measuring it in processing power, analytics capability, and data quality. Because the next phase of the industry is not just about producing hydrocarbons more efficiently, it is about understanding markets, assets, infrastructure, and risk faster than competitors. Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving beyond the oilfield itself and into the broader business of energy. Trading desks, logistics systems, pipelines, LNG exports, emissions management, cybersecurity, and capital allocation are all becoming increasingly data driven. And the companies…

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2026 (January, February, and March), according to the second estimate released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2025, real GDP increased 0.5 percent. The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the first quarter were exports, investment, consumer spending, and government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased. Real GDP was revised down 0.4 percentage point from the advance estimate, primarily reflecting downward revisions to investment and consumer spending.…

Blue Origin’s New Glenn mega-rocket just exploded during testing at a launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to a live stream from NASASpaceFlight.com. Blue Origin later confirmed the explosion. Jeff Bezos’ space company was performing a static fire test ahead of an anticipated fourth launch of the new rocket in the coming weeks. Blue Origin said in an X post Thursday evening that “[a]ll personnel have been accounted for.” The company didn’t say what went wrong, only that an “anomaly” occurred. NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Space Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment.…

Make a plan to feel confident about spending your money in retirement.gettyAre you a pre-retiree or retiree with a serious case of FORO (fear of running out)? If yes, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey by Allianz, two-thirds of Americans (67%) fear running out of money more than they fear death. And another recent survey by the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI) shows that 31% of retirees and 43% of pre-retirees don’t feel like they’ll have enough money to last the rest of their lives. These fears are understandable and appropriate for most pre-retirees and retirees. However, you’ll…

(Image credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Stocks opened lower Thursday as market participants took in the latest inflation update, but quickly turned higher on reports of an extended ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. A continued rally in tech stocks also kept the bulls in charge, with the three main indexes ending the day at new highs.Ahead of the open, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) rose 0.4% from March to April and was 3.8% higher compared to the year prior.Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was up 0.2%…

Personal income decreased less than $0.1 billion (less than 0.1 percent at a monthly rate) in April, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—decreased $19.9 billion (0.1 percent), and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $111.1 billion (0.5 percent).Personal outlays—the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $114.0 billion in April. Personal saving was $611.7 billion in April, and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of DPI—was 2.6 percent.The decrease in current-dollar personal income in April primarily reflected a decrease…

Saying “I do” affects more than just your personal life — it also means a shake-up in how you manage your money. After years of handling everything individually, you and your new spouse will have to figure out how to merge finances after marriage. To be clear, this doesn’t mean you have to pool all your assets when you tie the knot. It just means you need to get on the same page and create a system that works for both of you. The following approaches and tips can help. Common approaches to combining finances after marriage With couples getting…

Targeting falling stocks while the indices keep hitting new records could be a good strategy. What are the criteria for identifying struggling stocks with solid potential for a rebound? Discover eight bargain opportunities favored by analysts and nearing a major support level. US stock indices reached new record highs on Wednesday, May 27, with the closing at 50,644.28 points and the ending at 7,520.36. On the same day, Goldman Sachs raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 8,000, pointing to strong corporate earnings and continued momentum around artificial intelligence. Still, the rally has not lifted every stock equally.…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. May 28, 2026 Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement actions with former employee of Atlantic Union Bank and former employee of Frost Bank For release at 11:00 a.m. EDT The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday announced the execution of the enforcement actions listed below: Consent prohibition against Crystal Moore Former employee of Atlantic Union Bank, Richmond, Virginia Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act loan fraud Consent prohibition order against Jesse Romo …

(BOE Report) – French oil major TotalEnergies made the decision to buy large amounts of Middle East crude in March after its traders noticed the U.S. Navy amassing ships near the Gulf in February, its CEO told French newspaper Le Figaro in an interview published on Thursday. “Our oil traders — and it’s their job — noticed that the U.S. Navy was massing ships around the Persian Gulf in February. They decided to take a position counter to the market, which was trending down at the time, and to buy, saying something was about to happen,” CEO Patrick Pouyanne said. The Iran…