Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Netflix said Friday it agreed to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in an $83 billion deal.Warner Bros. Discovery still plans to split its cable TV channels like CNN and TBS off into a standalone company before its TV and movie studios and streaming services are acquired by Netflix. The bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is officially over, as the entertainment giant and Netflix (NFLX) announced an $83 billion deal Friday. Warner Bros. Discovery plans to continue with its previously planned break-up, which will involve spinning off its cable TV channels including CNN and TBS into a standalone…

Key Takeaways Inflation in September showed a mixed trend with overall inflation accelerating and “core” inflation, which excludes food and energy, slowing down.The decrease in core inflation was unexpected and leaves the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates next week, putting the battle against inflation on the back burner in favor of helping stabilize the job market. A seriously belated government report confirmed what you may already have known by looking at your grocery receipts: inflation stayed hot in September.Consumer prices rose 2.8% over the 12 months through September as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, up…

Key Takeaways Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to cut the central bank’s key interest rate by a quarter-point next week.In doing so, the Fed is prioritizing helping the faltering job market over fighting inflation. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut its key interest rate next week to give a boost to the faltering job market, despite concerns that lower borrowing costs could stoke inflation.As of Friday, financial markets were pricing in an 87% chance the central bank would cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point to a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, according to the CME…

Key Takeaways Netflix on Friday agreed to buy the studio and streaming service of Warner Bros. Discovery, beating out rivals Paramount Skydance and Comcast.Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery rose Friday morning, but traded nearly 10% below the $27.75 acquisition price, suggesting some skepticism about the deal on Wall Street.Paramount and Netflix stocks both fell Friday, as did the stocks of movie theater chains AMC and Cinemark. One of the most closely watched bidding wars of the year is over—maybe. Netflix (NFLX) on Friday agreed to buy the movie studio and streaming service of competitor Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in a…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldThe writer is a senior research fellow at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and a professor at the University of DenverOver the past four months, US President Donald Trump has ordered the largest deployment of US naval and air power in the Caribbean in decades. He has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of fuelling the international drug trade and emptying the country’s prisons to send violent criminals to the US. He has ordered deadly strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats,…

Key Takeaways Ulta Beauty posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with sales getting a boost from increasing transactions and higher average spending. The beauty retailer also boosted its full-year outlook. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) shares surged to a record high on Friday after the cosmetics and fragrance retailer posted earnings that topped analysts’ estimates and raised its outlook. The stock was up over 14% in recent trading, on track to finish the week at an all-time high and leading gains in the S&P 500. (Read our daily markets coverage here.)  Ulta Beauty reported third-quarter earnings per share of $5.14 on revenue that jumped 12.9%…

Key Takeaways SoFI’s stock is down Friday afternoon after announcing a share sale.The company’s stock is still riding high after beating analysts earnings expectations for seven of the last eight quarters. SoFi’s been on a winning streak. Today’s it’s taking a breather. Shares of SoFi Technologies (SOFI), a fintech-turned-bank, are taking a hit after a $1.5 billion share sale announcement on Thursday caught investors and analysts off guard. The most recent capital raise was its second in six months. Still, its stock remains aloft, nearly doubling so far this year. The company has been riding high on its achievements over…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the US financial regulation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.US regulators have scrapped a critical safeguard put in place in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, as the Trump administration seeks to pave the way for banks to underwrite riskier loans to the buyout industry. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said in a statement they had rescinded the leveraged lending guidance introduced in 2013 because it was too restrictive and captured too many types of loans. The watchdogs said the…

Pennsylvania residents are increasingly navigating a complex financial landscape, with high housing costs in the urban centres such as  Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, coupled with rapidly rising bills, credit card debt, and even personal loans, which are placing massive pressure on households. Rural communities face different challenges, in terms of having a lack of convenient access to local banks ot to having nonprofit counsellors. Residents having $30,000 or more in unsecured debt can easily turn to specialized debt relief programs, which include counselling, debt consolidation, settlement, and bankruptcy, in order to get that financial stability and improve their long-term prospects. Understanding…

Nina Raemont/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Stream Ring captures whispered thoughts and organizes them seamlessly.An Inner Voice feature responds in the user’s own synthesized voice.Stream Ring was designed for self-extension, enhancing memory, creativity, and organization.The tech industry is betting that AI will replace humans’ creativity and cognition. Sandbar, however, is creating technology that supplements these things instead. Sandbar is developing an AI-powered smart ring with a single and predominant use case. Its Stream Ring is an AI-powered note-taker and thought organizer that users can whisper into. The accompanying app organizes ideas and lists as the user…