Author: Money Mechanics

US tech stocks slumped on Friday as a sharp decline in Broadcom’s shares following the chipmaker’s earnings reignited investors’ nervousness about high valuations in companies linked to the artificial intelligence boom.The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed 1.7 per cent lower. Broadcom tumbled 11.4 per cent after investors were disappointed with the group’s outlook, stripping about $220bn from its market value.The S&P 500 dropped 1.1 per cent after closing at a record high on Thursday.Investors are concerned that a $21bn order from AI start-up Anthropic will drag down Broadcom’s margins because of higher costs in its AI chips business.The share price fall…

is consolidating high again, prolonging its remarkable monster bull. Since rocketing into extreme overboughtness in mid-October, gold has largely been drifting sideways on balance. This is really defying precedent for big-and-fast drawdowns after such massive runs, for an unbelievable fourth time in this bull. How its three earlier high consolidations played out offers insights into this current one’s likely behavior. In a single month into October 20th, gold soared 18.2% achieving 15 new all-time-record closes! That looked to climax an extraordinary 139.1% bull run since early October 2023, ranking as gold’s largest since 1971! Gold didn’t suffer a single 10%+…

Would-be home sellers and buyers are retreating as we enter the holiday season, with both new listings and pending sales falling. New listings of U.S. homes for sale fell 1.7% year over year during the four weeks ending December 7, the biggest decline in over two years. Would-be home sellers are pulling back partly because it’s the end of the year, typically a slow season for the housing market, and partly because they’re reacting to lackluster homebuying demand. Pending home sales are down 4.1% from a year ago, the biggest decline in 10 months. The homes that are selling are…

Thomas Fuller / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty ImagesDuring the holiday season, it’s a shopper’s paradise. Since major retailers are competing for your business, a majority of the time you can get the same deal at a retailer of your choice. For many, Amazon has become the go-to place to shop soup to nuts, including popular tech. And during Cyber Week, I faced a dilemma. For weeks, I was scoping out the Hisense Canvas 65-inch TV, waiting for a deal. On Cyber Monday, it finally dropped to $850 at both Amazon and Best Buy. And I had a choice. To…

Key Takeaways Gas prices are drifting lower nationwide, but costs still vary widely depending on where you live or travel.Today’s data shows big gaps, with Oklahoma, Texas, and Colorado among the cheapest states—around $2.50 a gallon or less—and Hawaii, California, and Washington all above $4.00.AAA offers several tips for gas savings, from smoother driving and regular maintenance to trip planning that helps stretch every tank. The national average price for regular gas is $2.93 today, based on AAA’s daily State Gas Price Averages for Dec. 12. That’s down from $2.98 a week ago and $3.08 a month ago, continuing a…

Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to expire at the start of the new year, potentially causing the average premium for people on ACA plans to double.President Donald Trump said Thursday evening he would be “working together” with Democrats on health care.Republicans and Democrats have clashed bitterly over whether to extend the subsidies or replace them with health savings accounts. President Donald Trump and lawmakers only have until a crucial deadline Monday to stop health care premiums from surging for millions of Americans. Dec. 15 is the deadline to enroll or renew coverage in an Affordable Care Act health insurance…

Key Takeaways A crisis-ready retirement plan is diversified across income types, taxes, and time horizons.Don’t forget to take into account often-overlooked risks, too, such as long-term care, inflation, and changes in tax policy.To further ensure your strategy is resilient, annual stress testing and flexible income tools can protect your plan when life doesn’t go to script. You might have a retirement plan. But is it built to survive a crisis? According to a May survey by Allianz, 62% of Americans worry a future national or global crisis could derail their retirement, but only 46% have actually accounted for those risks…

Tales of the Tape: The Rise of U.S. Structured Products Cboe Japan Corporate Webpage to be permanently terminated effected from November 2025 Structured products are helping power the next wave of derivatives growth. In this episode of Tales of the Tape, Chris Bialka, Vice President, Head of Cboe Global Indices and Fabrice Hugon Managing Director, Global Head of Solutions for Financial Intermediaries at Citi, joined host Spencer Doar to unpack what structured products are, the forms they take and how innovations in indices and the maturing FLexible EXchange (FLEX) options space are increasing access to the products.What you’ll learn:How structured…

Key Takeaways Markets shifted after the Fed’s latest cut, and the divided 2026 outlook shows how uncertain the path for interest rates has become.A split Fed outlook means savings and CD yields could move unpredictably next year as banks adjust to both the recent cut and a murkier rate path.It’s easy to track rate-cut odds yourself with the CME FedWatch tool, which updates in real time as traders react to new data. What’s Changed in the Fed’s Rate Outlook After Its Latest Cut When you want to know where bank savings rates are headed, it all comes down to what…

Key Takeaways Electrical fires caused 425 deaths, more than 1,200 injuries, and $1.6 billion in property damage a year between 2015 and 2019.Unplugging appliances before you leave your home can prevent accidental fires and help you save on your energy bill.Unplug small appliances like toasters, hairdryers, and gaming systems as well as larger appliances, such as your washer and dryer. Your bags are packed, the lights are off, and you’ve locked the door, but did you remember to unplug your electronics? This often-overlooked step may not seem important, but it can save you from paying higher energy bills or having…