Author: Money Mechanics

March S&P 500 E-Mini futures (ESH26) are up +0.63%, and March Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures (NQH26) are up +1.08% this morning, pointing to a strong start on Wall Street in the first trading session of 2026. Futures on the Nasdaq 100 outperformed amid renewed optimism around AI following a wave of AI-related news from Asia. Chip designer Shanghai Biren Technology Co. jumped in its Hong Kong trading debut. Also, Baidu climbed in Hong Kong after its AI chip unit confidentially filed for an IPO. In addition, DeepSeek released a paper outlining a more efficient method for developing AI. Also supporting the…

Expectations for in 2025 were very high. Many investors expected a strong year based on past cycles. That pattern failed to play out. Bitcoin did climb to around $126,000 and set a new high. But heavy selling in the final quarter erased those gains. By year’s end, Bitcoin finished down about 6 percent. This outcome has split market views. Some investors expect a rebound in 2026. Others believe current conditions point to continued weakness.The Cycle Story is BrokenThe idea of a major Bitcoin rally every four years failed to play out in 2025. In the past, the belief that prices…

The letter was signed by NRMLA President Steve Irwin. “We commend the sponsors for introducing this bill as it provides necessary clarity and common-sense regulatory relief that directly supports the core function of the reverse mortgage product,” it read. NRMLA said the current statute — while aimed at protecting consumers in traditional second-lien lending — does not align with how reverse mortgages are structured or used by older homeowners. The bill was introduced in the New Jersey Senate in early December. Why NRMLA says the change is needed Reverse mortgages allow homeowners — typically age 62 and older — to…

India has ordered Elon Musk’s X to make immediate technical and procedural changes to its AI chatbot Grok after users and lawmakers flagged the generation of “obscene” content, including AI-altered images of women created using the tool. On Friday, India’s IT ministry issued the order directing Musk’s X to take corrective action on Grok, including restricting the generation of content involving “nudity, sexualization, sexually explicit, or otherwise unlawful” material. The ministry also gave the social media platform 72 hours to submit an action-taken report detailing the steps it has taken to prevent the hosting or dissemination of content deemed “obscene,…

(Investing)– At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of state-run PDVSA’s effort to expand floating storage and keep selling  even as a U.S. blockade has reduced exports to a minimum. U.S. President Donald Trump this month announced a blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in or out of Venezuelan waters as part of a strategy to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. move has cut oil exports this month to about half of their November level. The U.S. has seized two fully loaded…

This WeekHappy new year everyone!It’s been a slow week, and the little news we got mostly confirmed what we knew… layoffs are low, manufacturers are still navigating tariffs, and there’s no consensus at the Federal Reserve.Specifically on the Fed, the December minutes showed that “most” supported the rate cut, though “some” wanted no cut, and “a few” could have gone either way. Looking ahead, “most” want further cuts “over time,” while “some” want rates flat “for some time.” At least they seem to “generally” agree that the labor market will “likely… stabilize” in 2026 as economic growth “pick[s] up…”For the…

Gold soared in 2025 achieving one of its most-phenomenal years ever, smashing countless records. Such epic performance naturally earned universal adoration, and fueled intense herd greed. That combined with extremely-stretched technicals leaves gold vulnerable to some kind of reckoning early in this new year. That should prove a big-and-fast drawdown, though gold could get lucky and consolidate high again. With last year finally in the books, gold clocked in with an astounding 64.3% gain! Gold achieved 53 new all-time-record closes in 2025, or on fully 21% of all its trading days. Those included besting the huge psychological milestones of $3k…

(Image credit: Getty Images)All three main U.S. equity indexes opened 2026 in the green, but stocks struggled for direction through most of the first trading day of the new year. Price action was mixed within key sectors and subgroups, such as technology and the Magnificent 7, at what is also the beginning of a new era for financial markets.It was another low-volume session as investors, traders and speculators remain in holiday mode until next week. Energy stocks led the way higher on Friday, while industrials, materials and utility stocks also posted sector gains of greater than 1%.Tech stocks rallied late…

Key Takeaways Berkshire shares have significantly lagged the S&P 500 since Buffett’s retirement announcement—what analysts call a “succession discount.”With one of Berkshire’s two stock-pickers departing for JPMorgan, investors worry about who’s looking after the company’s $300 billion equity portfolio. Warren Buffett wants investors to relax. In an interview out Friday, the 95-year-old assured shareholders that his departure from the role of CEO at Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) changes nothing. “Everything will be the same,” he told CNBC. The market doesn’t seem to agree. From the time Buffett announced his retirement in early May, Berkshire Hathaway shares fell about 7% through…

I hope everyone had an enjoyable, restful holiday season. I sure did. Later today, I’ll sit down and watch Indiana face off against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. My niece went to IU, so I’ll most definitely be cheering for the Hoosiers’ dream season to continue. As we move into 2026, part of my focus will be on the options market in general and unusual options activity, more specifically. This past year was full of ups and downs for investors, but it’s hard to complain about the fourth consecutive year of gains for the S&P 500. Valuations continue to be…