Author: Money Mechanics

Gold, silver, and miners did move higher, but the move didn’t last. In fact, prices reversed on an intraday basis, and then they declined. Those declines continue today – benefiting all our trading positions. I just hope you shorted like I emphasized. Anyway, the question that you might be wondering about is whether the corrective upswing is already over. In today’s analysis, I’ll focus on bitcoin and the stock market – both are related to the performance of precious metals. In short, I’d give that 50/50 chance, and the reason why is connected with what’s driving the current move lower…

The typical Austin home that went under contract in December spent a record 106 days on the market, compared with 60 days nationwide. A decade ago, Austin was one of the fastest markets. Unsustainable price growth in recent years along with a homebuilding boom have left Austin with more sellers than buyers. That means the buyers who are in the market can take their time and negotiate. Home prices in Austin dropped 4% in December—the third biggest decline among major metro areas. The typical home that went under contract in Austin, TX in December spent 106 days on the market,…

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Over the years, one Linux distribution has risen above the rest.That distribution is based on Ubuntu, so it’s user-friendly.The best of the best is equal parts beauty and usability.Ubuntu (and all of its spins), Fedora (and all of its spins), Red Hat (before Fedora was a thing), openSUSE, Linux Mint, Arch, Gentoo, Pop!_OS…The list goes on. Also: 7 apps I use to lock down, encrypt, and store my private files – and most are freeI’ve used and/or tested so many Linux distributions that…

Key Takeaways Median salaries for 150 common professions vary widely by experience level, from entry-level to 20-plus years.If you suspect you’re underpaid, do some research and consider your location. You can also talk with a trusted colleague to compare notes. At some point in your career, you’ll wonder: Am I getting paid enough? The answer depends on what other people in your role actually earn, and how experience shifts those numbers. Below, we break down median salaries for 150 of the most common professions by years of experience, from just starting at a job to 20-plus years in. If the…

Key Takeaways Qualcomm shares tumbled Thursday after its outlook for the current quarter missed Wall Street’s projections.The chipmaker said an ongoing memory chip shortage is expected to impact sales of smartphones, which it makes processors for. Qualcomm’s stock is getting hammered amid worries about a worsening memory shortage. Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) plunged over 9% in recent trading after the chipmaker gave a disappointing outlook for the current quarter, and pointed to a tightening supply of memory components that’s impacting the smartphone market. Qualcomm, which makes processors that are used in smartphones, laptops, and cars, said it expects a weaker…

In 2025, the initial public offering (IPO) market continued to rebound from the 2022 and 2023 slump. For the second year in a row, markets saw more IPOs, more special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), and more capital raised at IPO. Looking at the data, we see IPOs really gained strength toward the end of the year — IPOs raised more money, and SPACs rebounded to almost 2020 levels.2025 IPOs increase for third straight yearUsing data from Jay Ritter, a well-known IPO academic with a long history of activity, we look at historic IPOs of U.S. companies. Ritters’ data excludes exchanged-traded funds. It also allows us to separate companies that had an IPO price under $5, SPACs, banks, unit offers, partnerships, trusts, and REITS in a separate “other” category (below). Chart 1: IPOs…

Key Takeaways Yum! Brands is closing 250 of 20,000 U.S. Pizza Hut locations after several quarters of declining same-store sales.The company has undertaken a “strategic review” of the brand, which will weigh several strategies, including selling the pizza chain. Yum! is tearing off a slice of its pizza portfolio. The fast-food giant will close 250 of 20,000 domestic Pizza Hut locations in the first half of the year, Yum! Brands (YUM) said on a conference call Wednesday. The restaurateur’s other brands, including Taco Bell and KFC, are performing well, but Yum! floated the idea of selling Pizza Hut while announcing…

Key Takeaways Hims & Hers Health said Thursday it would start selling a compounded weight-loss pill, at a lower price than rivals.Shares of Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk tumbled following the announcement, while Hims & Hers shares initially surged before reversing course. A new pill from Hims & Hers Health is rattling shares of leading weight-loss drugmakers. Shares of Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) each slipped about 8% Thursday after Hims & Hers said it would start selling a compounded weight-loss pill, at a lower price than rivals. Hims & Hers (HIMS) shares initially surged close to 14%,…

Key Takeaways Estée Lauder’s latest results beat expectations, and the company raised its outlook. Investors, however, didn’t like what they saw. After rising more than 45% in the past year, the shares dropped today, finishing 19% lower. Estée Lauder’s latest forecast wasn’t a winning look. The cosmetics company reported second-quarter results Thursday that sent investors running—and the stock to its lowest close since December—despite results that beat expectations and an improved outlook for the year. The company’s reiteration of a $100 million expected second-half tariff hit to profits, along with the stock’s steady climb off April lows that may have…

To help you understand the trends surrounding AI and other new technologies and what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts. (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe.) You’ll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…It’s a new reality for movie and TV companies. Among the forces at play are Hollywood’s box office struggles, traditional TV’s decline and short-form video’s rise.…