Author: Money Mechanics

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.It’s that time again when I start to reminisce about the literally countless gadgets and gizmos that have been through my hands over the past year. And just to give you an idea of how many that is, the content that gets reviewed here on ZDNET is just a fraction of what I’ve started testing. Less than half. Most that don’t make the cut are just not up to scratch, others I have some issue partway through the review, and the item gets pushed to the back burner (I can’t spend too much time…

Calvin McDonald’s nearly seven-year tenure as the chief executive officer of Lululemon Athletica (NASDAQ: LULU) can be compared to a pair of luxury yoga pants that don’t quite fit: Uncomfortable at best, and an expensive mistake at worst. McDonald will step down from the company’s helm at the end of January 2026, and, thus far, the stock has responded positively to this announced change in leadership. Shares of Lululemon surged more than 6.5% from the announcement as of close on Dec. 17. A renewed energy is now benefiting Lululemon. Elliott Investment Management even went so far as to build its…

Silver futures continue to exhibit constructive price behavior within a defined cyclical advance, as highlighted on the 15-minute structure. Price is currently holding above the Daily VC PMI pivot near $65.57, which remains the dominant short-term mean-reversion reference. Sustained acceptance above this level confirms bullish price momentum within the present cycle window, while intraday pullbacks toward the pivot should be viewed as rotational rather than trend-ending, unless momentum structurally breaks below it. From a time-cycle perspective, is progressing through a short-term expansion phase following the prior corrective cycle. The advance from the mid-$64s into the $66+ zone aligns with a…

The Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Bank of England voted narrowly to cut interest rates on Thursday, in its last monetary policy move of 2025.The central bank’s nine-member monetary policy committee (MPC) on Thursday voted 5-4 to trim the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%, marking the fourth cut of the year. Economists had widely expected the rate trim, which comes at a time of lackluster economic data, softening labor market and a recent decline in inflation that outpaced expectations.Nonetheless, the…

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things “future of transportation.” To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! The year in transportation started with a couple of bankruptcies — Canoo and Nikola — and now it’s ending with two more. Rad Power Bikes is coming to an end — or at least a bankruptcy. The electric bike company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, weeks after it warned employees that it could shut down without new funding. A spokesperson told TechCrunch the company will continue to operate while the bankruptcy…

(Oil Price)– Harbour Energy has made a gas and condensate discovery in the Norwegian section of the North Sea, which could be tied back to existing infrastructure, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate said on Friday. Harbour Energy, as operator of the license, and its partners have proven gas condensate in the ‘Camilla Nord’ prospect, the regulator said, adding that preliminary estimates indicate the size of the discovery is between 2.2 million and 4.7 million barrels of oil equivalent. Wildcat wells 35/8-8 S and A were drilled in production licenses 248 LS and 248 B, which are part of the Vega Unit in…

“Art is not a luxury,” Maya Angelou, the renowned author and poet, once said. But when it comes to buying artwork to enjoy in the comfort of your home, it can feel like one. Owning fine art may seem out of reach, limited to auction houses and high-end galleries. Online marketplaces, however, have made it easier and more affordable than ever to buy paintings, sculptures, photography and more without leaving your sofa.A primary avenue to buy art online is through galleries such as TheArtling.com, Zatista.com, Artfinder.com and Artsy.net. These sites sell pieces to meet a variety of tastes, with price…

Key Takeaways Analysts at Bank of America and Jefferies said they’re still bullish on semiconductor stocks heading into 2026. AI stocks have pulled back lately amid worries about an AI bubble, but the analysts said semiconductor shares are likely to keep benefiting from spending on data centers. AI stocks have had a tough time lately. Some analysts say they’re sticking by their favorite chip stocks anyway. AI is “still the place to be” heading into 2026, with chip stocks among the best ways to play the AI boom, Bank of America analysts told clients in a note last week, anticipating growing…

With Farmers Insurance Group having secured $400 million of multi-peril US catastrophe reinsurance protection through its new Topanga Re (Series 2025-1) catastrophe bond issuance, Thomas Noh, CFO of Farmers Insurance Exchange stated that the issuance marks an important component of the company’s risk management strategy.As we’ve been reporting, Farmers Insurance Group successfully priced its second and largest catastrophe bond sponsorship earlier this month, with the Topanga Re Series 2025-1 cat bond growing from its initial $300 million of per-occurrence catastrophe reinsurance protection target, to secure the company a $400 million fully-collateralized source of protection. In December 2021, Farmers sponsored its debut catastrophe…

By David Enna, Tipswatch.com Since there were very few month-to-month price changes detailed in the November inflation report, we are all left wondering about key areas that resulted in surprisingly low inflation for the September to November period. This CPI report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been highly criticized by economists and inflation experts. Headline and core inflation numbers rose by less than half the number predicted by experts, with all-items CPI rising 2.7% over the 12 months to November, and core up 2.6%. The BLS produced little data on overall month-to-month inflation changes, but reported that CPI…