Author: Money Mechanics

(Investing) – A cold start to winter and record liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows have helped drive a strong rally in prices since mid-October, said analysts at Morgan Stanley, seeing further upside ahead. At 08:55 ET (13:55 GMT), natural gas prices fell 0.5% to $4.968 per million British thermal units, or MMBtu, but are up over 17% over the course of the last month and over 36% higher year-to-date. For the last several months, analysts at the U.S. bank have been calling for Henry Hub to break above $5/mmbtu by early 2026. Prices have now rallied around 60% since mid-October, with…

A few weeks ago, we covered new Reg NMS round lots, and hypothesized that the change would help lower spreads for high-priced stocks.Since the new round lots went into effect on Nov. 3, 2025, over 250 symbols have been trading with a new round lot for a little over a month. Today, we dive into the universe of symbols with a new round lot and what the impact on trading has been. Only 3% of listings have a new round lotAny stock or exchange-traded product (ETP) priced over $250 in September 2025 received a new round lot in November. However, it turned…

Key Takeaways Marvell Technology reported a quarterly profit ahead of analyst’ estimates, thanks in part to strong data center demand. The semiconductor company also said it is acquiring Celestial AI in a $3.25 billion deal. Marvell Technology (MRVL) shares jumped Wednesday after the semiconductor company topped profit estimates on strong data center demand and announced an AI acquisition. The shares were up close to 5% in recent trading, making Marvell one of the best-performing stocks in the Nasdaq Wednesday. (Read our daily markets coverage here.)  Marvell posted adjusted earnings of $0.76 per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, slightly…

Key Takeaways Walmart may open “dark format” stores in urban areas as a way to fulfill e-commerce orders closer to high-income customers, CFO John David Rainey said.Meanwhile, one of the company’s best-selling Black Friday items was Apple AirPods. The wealthy have migrated to Walmart. Now the retailer wants to reciprocate. Walmart (WMT) would like to build a presence in urban areas that’s closer to parts of the well-off population that has started shopping with it in recent years. The traditional store format developed by the company has historically not translated well to cities, CFO John David Rainey said at a…

Key Takeaways A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged account for qualified education expenses. You can easily contribute to an existing 529 plan or open one for someone else. Contributions generally qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion. A special five-year election allows large gifts to be spread evenly over five years for tax purposes. 529 plan gifting can help families invest in future education costs efficiently. A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings account designed to help families pay for qualified education expenses. These plans are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions, and the funds can generally be…

Key Takeaways Snowflake shares tumbled Thursday after the firm issued a disappointing margin forecast, raising worries its AI investments could squeeze profits.The cloud data analytics company’s quarterly earnings and revenue topped analysts’ estimates, with a boost from AI-driven demand. Investors are hammering Snowflake’s stock despite quarterly results that topped analysts’ expectations on the top and bottom lines. Shares of Snowflake (SNOW) were down over 10% in recent trading, a day after the cloud data analytics company issued a disappointing margin forecast. (Read our daily markets coverage here.)  Snowflake posted adjusted earnings of $0.35 per share on revenue that jumped 29% year-over-year…

KEY TAKEAWAYS The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” Act imposes a stricter limit on the amount of Parent PLUS loans that families of undergraduate students can borrow. It also reduces the amount of PLUS and unsubsidized loans that many graduate students can borrow.However, these new loan limits will only impact students who are borrowing for the first time in the 2026 fall semester and beyond. New student loan limits are set to take effect for the 2026-27 academic year, but their impact will be phased in over the next few years. If you’re considering a loan, here’s what you need to…

Key Takeaways Meta is reportedly looking to slash spending on the “metaverse,” the tech giant’s suite of augmented reality hardware and software products.The company’s push into the metaverse was the inspiration for its name change from Facebook four years ago. However, investors have increasingly questioned whether the massive spending is paying off. Shares of Meta Platforms (META) surged Thursday following a report that the company is looking to significantly cut spending on its “metaverse” projects next year. Bloomberg reported that CEO Mark Zuckerberg has requested that executives find at least 10% in budget cuts across the company for next year,…

Key Takeaways Netflix shares fell Thursday, a day after after closing at a seven-month low, as investors mulled the likelihood it beats out Paramount Skydance in a bidding war for competitor Warner Bros. Discovery.Netflix is seen as the preferred buyer, but federal officials have reportedly raised antitrust concerns. Netflix could be on the verge of a big purchase. Wall Street’s not thrilled about it.  The streaming giant is reportedly the odds-on favorite to acquire competitor Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). That hasn’t helped the stock: Netflix (NFLX) shares were down more than 1% in recent trading—after falling to a seven-month closing…

Key Takeaways “Good enough” hardware lowers costs, enlarges margins, and expands the addressable market.Design constraints spur signature innovations—from Wii motion controls to Switch hybrid play. Nintendo Co., Ltd.’s (NTDOY) Switch 2 got off to a record start—3.5 million units flew off shelves in the first four days after its June 2025 launch, the fastest hardware debut in company history. At $449.99, the hybrid console adds a brighter 7.9-inch HDR screen and 120 Hz variable-refresh support, yet it still trails rivals in terms of raw performance. That performance gap is no accident. For decades, Nintendo has prospered by sidestepping the semiconductor…