Author: Money Mechanics

By: Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Jan. 3 at 6:42 p.m. ETIt was 11 years ago when Pebble unveiled its first-generation round smartwatch, the Pebble Time Round. Eleven years later, the watch brand announced the Pebble Round 2, featuring updates that will please both veteran Pebble wearers and newcomers alike. The smartwatch is not as thin as the famously slim Pebble Time Round (it’s 0.6 mm thicker), but it offers ten days of battery life and maximizes the 1.3-inch e-paper display. Also: Cult favorite Pebble returns with Pebble Round 2 – and it’s built to look as analog as possibleWidening the display…

Key Takeaways Memory and data storage stocks soared in the first trading days of 2026, with the rally getting a boost on Tuesday after bullish comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Data storage stocks have been on a tear for months, with booming demand and a severe supply crunch helping them to dodge the AI bubble concerns that have weighed on the rest of the AI ecosystem. Big tech stocks may have lost some of their luster in recent months, but the first few sessions of 2026 suggest investors are still eager to chase momentum where they see it. Data…

Key Takeaways Analysts named Chipotle a top restaurant stock pick, saying shares are selling at a discount but trends could improve amid new business strategies.Conditions are generally expected to improve in 2026 for restaurants, especially fast-casual ones, though analysts were divided on Starbucks’ trajectory. Investors may want to take another look at what Chipotle’s cooking. The burrito chain’s stock fell out of favor with investors as its core audience of young, higher-earning diners cut back on eating out in recent months. But investors can scoop up shares at a discount—their prices dropped nearly 40% in 2025—and analysts say Chipotle Mexican…

Key Takeaways Intel stock soared on Wednesday, extending a recent run-up fueled by increasing confidence in its foundry business. The federal government and Nvidia both announced multi-billion dollar investments in Intel last year, helping to stabilize the company’s finances and reassure Wall Street of its future prospects. Shares of Intel (INTC) jumped more than 6% on Wednesday as investors grew more optimistic about the future of its chip manufacturing business. Intel earlier this week unveiled its new “Panther Lake” AI PC chips, its first product made with its long-awaited 18A manufacturing process. The launch marked a milestone for the company…

Key Takeaways These four towns—Lafayette, Louisiana; Pella, Iowa; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Fairlawn, Ohio—offer crawfish boils, tulip festivals, mountain hikes, and access to national parks, plus 10-gigabit municipal internet.Median home prices in these towns run 14% to 35% below the national average, with costs of living 4% to 14% lower. About 14% of Americans now work remotely, more than double the percentage before the pandemic. If you’re one of them, you likely need little more to work than some space and a solid internet connection. If you can log in from anywhere, why not do it somewhere cheaper? These four towns…

Key Takeaways After hinting at “aggressive” reforms in the housing market, President Donald Trump wrote on social media Wednesday that he is seeking to ban large investor home purchases.Investors accounted for more than 10% of home sales in the 2025 second quarter, but the majority were made by smaller investors. President Donald Trump provided the first details of his plan for “aggressive” reforms to the housing market on Wednesday. Trump wrote in a social media post that he is taking steps to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. He also said he is asking Congress to write it…

KEY TAKEAWAYS Federal student loan borrowers who defaulted on their loans will begin receiving wage garnishment notices Wednesday, the Department of Education said.Borrowers have 30 days from receiving their notice to pay off their balance or request a hearing.They can also consolidate or rehabilitate their loan, which will bring their loan back into good standing and help avoid wage garnishment. Millions of federal student loan borrowers are expected to get wage garnishment notices starting Wednesday, but there are ways to prevent withholdings before they begin. The Department of Education said it will begin sending notices to defaulted borrowers stating that their wages…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Christmas came twice for UK retailer Next. It increased its forecast for full-year revenue and pre-tax profit on Tuesday, on the back of better than expected seasonal sales. Investors who have now watched the company upgrade its forecasts five times in the past year may feel like they have unwrapped this gift before.Next is one of many that has a habit of setting the bar low and then clearing it with ease. In the US, in a typical quarter, almost two-thirds of…

(Image credit: Getty Images)All three main U.S. equity indexes opened in the green but struggled to hold gains during a mixed trading session on Wednesday. Still, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 set new all-time intraday highs before slipping into the red, and the Nasdaq Composite is rising on breadth expansion and sector rotation.One big name was a big winner and another big name was a big loser, but health care stocks still managed to join communication services and tech stocks in positive territory.Consumer discretionary faded late, and energy stocks reflect a market still digesting President Donald…

Key Takeaways Chevron produces about about 25% of the country’s oil. It’s the most direct play on Venezuela’s economic opening.Oil services firms such as Halliburton and SLB could win billions in reconstruction contracts, but any gains are likely years away.Gulf Coast refiners such as Valero were purpose-built for Venezuelan heavy crude and could see better margins if that oil flows again. The U.S. is planning big changes for Venezuela’s oil industry after ousting the country’s president. Shares of a handful of U.S. companies stand to benefit from the upheaval. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday said that the U.S. will…