Author: Money Mechanics

Stocks were poised for a lower open after major indexes ended a volatile week sharply higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassing the 50000 threshold for the first time.  Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Dow futures pointed down a respective 0.5%, 0.3%, and 0.1%. Major indexes bounced back sharply Friday, a day after equities sank amid risk-off sentiment, with the blue-chip Dow, benchmark S&P 500, and tech-heavy Nasdaq all soaring at least 2%. The Dow jumped more than 1,200 points to snap a three-week losing streak, but the Nasdaq extended its skid to four weeks and the S&P 500 fell for the third…

(Image credit: Getty Images)As 2025 ended, some investors were still riding the momentum of strong gains from 2023 and 2024. But many are now starting to feel the undercurrent of market jitters, such as heightened inflation, signs of a cooling job market and geopolitical tensions.The question on savvy investors’ minds is: Should I reduce my risk now and, if so, by how much? The answer, as you know if you’ve read any of my other content, is it depends on your individual situation and objectives.Even with a more optimistic view of the economy’s resilience, it is important to balance that…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the European banks myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.UniCredit shares rose on Monday after the Milanese lender said it expected to lift its net profit forecast to €11bn this year as stakes in European rivals Commerzbank and Alpha Bank boosted earnings. The lender said it now planned to return about €50bn in capital to investors over the next five years as “exceptional” growth was expected to continue at an annual pace of 7 per cent over the next three years. Chief executive Andrea Orcel said UniCredit delivered record growth and profitability…

by its daily trading range (intraday low to intraday high, or vice-versa) is establishing point swings “like ya never done seen” –[mmb, ’18]. Gold’s daily range through these first 25 trading days of 2026 has averaged 197 points per session, the current “expected daily trading range” (for Monday) being 283 points, an historical maximum. That is wider than Gold’s entire trading range from the start of the 21st century on 02 January 2001 (opening price 273) for nearly five years until 12 December 2005 (settle price 532). However, in turning to the reality of percentage swings, Gold’s actually been here…

The mortgage market is showing signs of recovery. After years of navigating elevated interest rates that began climbing in late 2021, lenders are seeing a path forward. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) January 2026 Mortgage Finance Forecast projects that single-family mortgage origination volume will increase in 2026 to $2.2 trillion in 2026, up from $2.05 trillion last year.  As originations increase, many lenders see selling loans to Government Sponsored Enterprises or other investors as a critical strategy to free up capital and manage portfolio risk.  But did you know there is an advantage to retaining servicing rights on sold loans…

After a better-than-expected opening weekend in theaters, box office for Amazon’s “Melania” fell 67%, to an estimated $2.37 million, in its second weekend. The documentary about First Melania Trump has grossed a total of $13.5 million so far (almost all of that in the United States), which means it’s extremely unlikely the film — which Amazon spent $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market — will break even in theaters. Before “Melania”’s release, a former Amazon film executive asked how the price tag could be motivated by anything other than “currying favor” with the Trump administration or “an…

(Investing) – Oil prices ticked up on Friday, after reports citing Iran’s foreign minister said talks between the country and the U.S. had got off to a “good start.” At 11:05 ET (16:05 GMT),  for April were up 1% to $68.15 a barrel and  rose 0.9% to $63.85 a barrel. Notably, the crude benchmarks were on track for weekly declines of 3.4% and 2%, respectively, their first since mid-December 2025, as investors priced in a smaller risk premium, while also taking some profits after a big runup. Araghchi says ’good start’ to U.S.-Iran talks U.S. and Iranian officials met in Oman Friday morning amid heightened…

We came across a bullish thesis on Amazon.com, Inc. on LongYield’s Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on AMZN. Amazon.com, Inc.’s share was trading at $210 as of February 6th. AMZN’s trailing and forward P/E were 29.3 and 25.5, respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Joe Ravi / Shutterstock.com Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) remains the world’s largest e‑commerce company and a major force in cloud computing, digital advertising, and connected devices. Its business is organized into North America, International, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), monetizing a broad ecosystem that includes the flagship online marketplace, Prime subscriptions, AWS cloud offerings,…

U.S. jobs report, CPI inflation data, retail sales, and more earnings will be in focus this week. Cisco is projected to deliver strong earnings and solid guidance, making it a high-probability winner this week. Moderna’s shrinking revenue, expected losses position it for potential downside this week. Stocks on Wall Street rallied on Friday to record their strongest gain in months, as the closed above the historic 50,000 mark for the first time ever. Friday’s advance followed three straight days of losses marked by worries about artificial intelligence, with several software companies hit especially hard amid concerns that AI could create…

Malta has streamlined the accounting requirements for Reinsurance Special Purpose Vehicles (RSPVs), a move expected to significantly bolster the country’s insurance-linked securities (ILS) market. According to Malta-based law firm Ganado Advocates, these changes offer a more proportionate regulatory environment for complex risk vehicles.For context, Malta introduced regulatory frameworks for RSPVs and securitisation several years ago. The Accountancy Profession (General Accounting Principles in respect of certain Eligible Entities related to the business of Insurance) Regulations (GAPEE) originally allowed specific re/insurers to opt out of IFRS 17 in favour of a local accounting framework. With the introduction of Legal Notice 299 of 2025, the…