Author: Money Mechanics

Key TakeawaysThe S&P 500® Index has reached record highs, while the VIX Index has also risen — a pattern known as “Spot Up, ‘VIX’ Up”Geopolitical uncertainty and record stock dispersion driven by AI-related enthusiasm are both contributing to the current market environmentA rising VIX Index alongside rising equities is a prompt to consider your own exposure and understand the current volatility environment — not a signal with a predetermined correct responseCboe’s VIX options and Mini VIX futures offer structured ways to access volatility exposure directly, subject to individual risk assessmentsMarkets have reached record highs. The S&P 500 Index has returned…

As summer unofficially begins, mortgage rates have climbed to their highest level in nine months, propelled higher by soaring energy costs stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Freddie Mac reported last Thursday that the average 30-year fixed home loan rate reached 6.51%, a benchmark not seen since late August 2025—a period dominated by economic uncertainty during the So, how did we get here, and what’s next for the housing market as it enters the traditionally bustling late spring and early summer buying season?A look at Freddie Mac data provides a major clue. Rates had been on a relatively…

The European Central Bank “will do what is necessary” to keep inflation on target, one of its top policymakers has told CNBC.Speaking to CNBC’s Lisa Kim in Singapore on Tuesday, Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau sought to reassure sovereign debt markets that central bankers in Europe were committed to minimizing the impact of the Iran war.Spiking oil prices, a result of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have fueled concerns that an energy crisis could lead to a resurgence of inflation in various markets.Villeroy de Galhau, who is a member of the ECB’s Governing Council,…

Jack Wallen/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Linux shell enables communication with the kernel.The default shell for most distributions is Bash.There’s a much more user-friendly option, called Fish.Essentially, the Linux shell interprets commands so the kernel can understand and use them. Without the shell, not only would commands not work, but applications wouldn’t work.So, yes, the shell is very important.Most Linux distributions default to the Bash shell, which stands for Bourne Again Shell. Why “Bourne”? Because Bourne shell was the first shell, and Bash is an improvement on that. With Bash, you can write bash…

With its corner of Southeast Tennessee growing, Chattanooga has developed a new tool to encourage more housing, without making taxpayers foot the bill.The city has secured the first set of new housing developments using a first-of-its-kind tool, which incentivizes the construction of below-market housing without direct subsidies. Chattanooga’s Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program offers developers a property tax discount if they include affordable units in new housing developments.The program is a new tool in the push to boost housing supply and keep housing costs down, said Hanneke van Deursen, Chattanooga’s director of housing finance.The program was just honored as…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Two of the three main equity indexes traded in record territory Tuesday as Wall Street returned from a three-day weekend, and markets looked beyond continuing uncertainty in the Middle East. Apple (AAPL, -0.2%) hit a new high on optimism about its artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives amid broad gains for tech-related names, while energy, consumer staples and healthcare stocks struggled.At the closing bell, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite had added 1.2% to 26,656, and the broad-based S&P 500 had risen 0.6% to 7,519 — new all-time closing highs.But, despite celebrating the 130th anniversary of its May 26, 1896, debut,…

BJ’s Wholesale is seeing a ripple effect from economic pressure that has boosted its gas business in recent months. However, its retail business continues to face challenges as demand grows unevenly. In response, the company is planning significant in-store changes that could affect how customers shop. In the first quarter of 2026, BJ’s comparable club sales increased by 6.3% year over year, which includes gasoline sales, the company’s latest earnings report revealed. Gas was the main driver of this growth; without it, comparable club sales rose only 1.5% year over year. Data from a recent Placer.ai report revealed that visits…

The S&P 500 bulls are targeting new all-time highs on Tuesday. However, some stocks in the index are clearly “lagging behind.” What are the best opportunities among S&P 500 stocks that haven’t yet benefited from the rally? At the time of writing, futures are pointing to a higher opening for the this Tuesday after the long Memorial Day weekend. The US stock index could therefore reach fresh record highs, supported by growing diplomatic optimism around the Iran-US conflict. After making encouraging comments over the weekend, President Donald Trump said on Monday on Truth Social that negotiations with Iran were progressing…

Please enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser or access the information through the links provided below. May 26, 2026 Minutes of the Board’s discount rate meeting on April 20 and 29, 2026 For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday released the minutes from its recent meetings to review and determine the discount rates provided to depository institutions through the discount window. Today’s minutes cover the Board meetings that occurred on April 20 and 29, 2026. The Board’s process for setting the discount rate is…

Marylanders will soon be able to live closer to mass transit as a new state law clears the way for the development of thousands of new housing units.Gov. Wes Moore signed the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act on Tuesday morning. It’s a measure that prioritizes redevelopment projects around major transit lines. Starting in 2027, these areas will be designated enterprise zones and get favorable tax and financing treatment.”We don’t just have a housing shortage in Maryland, we have a housing crisis in Maryland,” Moore said in an Annapolis bill-signing ceremony. “It’s not just that the state, before, wasn’t trying…