Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways BlackRock CEO Larry Fink this week defended big AI spending, saying “other countries are going to beat” the U.S. otherwise. He also linked the technological change underway to the U.S. economy, questioning whether this year’s lack of job growth should be attributed to uncertain policy or labor substitution. There are worries about AI spending. Sometimes, that means worries that companies developing artificial intelligence capabilities aren’t spending enough. Larry Fink, chief of BlackRock (BLK), the world’s largest asset manager, yesterday defended spending on artificial intelligence during a wide-ranging interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit. “If we don’t…

(Image credit: Getty Images)It was a choppy session for stocks Thursday as market participants weighed the latest jobs data against expectations for a rate cut at next week’s Federal Reserve meeting. Still, small caps rallied hard on hopes for lower interest rates, while speculation over a Mag 7 stock’s massive spending cuts kept the Nasdaq Composite above water.Ahead of the open, data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas showed that U.S.-based employers announced 71,321 job cuts in November – up 24% year over year. While this marked a 53% drop from the number of layoffs announced in October, it’s still the…

Key Takeaways Dollar General shares jumped 11% Thursday after the retailer’s third-quarter profits came in well above estimates.The company joins several of its discount retail competitors that have recently topped estimates as U.S. consumers hunt for value. Dollar General’s shares led the S&P 500’s gainers after its latest quarterly results showed that Americans are continuing to hunt for value, benefitting the discount retailer and its competitors. The company’s shares were recently up some 13%. The retailer said Thursday that it generated $10.65 billion in revenue in the third quarter as same-store sales rose by 2.5%. Both figures were roughly in…

(Image credit: Getty Images)When Americans move abroad, their financial lives become significantly more complex. From navigating foreign tax systems to understanding how U.S. retirement accounts are treated overseas, the stakes rise even as the margin for error narrows.That’s why choosing the right cross-border financial planner is so important. High-earning and high-net-worth U.S. taxpayers must find someone who understands the full scope of cross-border financial planning and is committed to a long-term relationship.A brief review: Types of financial plannersWhen we talk about different “types” of financial planners, they can be differentiated across three spectrums: From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal…

Scout Investments, Inc., an affiliate of Carillon Tower Advisers, recently released its third-quarter 2025 investor letter for “Carillon Scout Mid Cap Fund”. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Russell Midcap Index posted positive returns in the quarter, fueled by strong corporate earnings, the continued momentum in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, and the anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) interest rates. In addition, please check the fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025. In its third-quarter 2025 investor letter, Carillon Scout Mid Cap Fund highlighted stocks such as Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS). Celestica Inc.…

The $4,000 level in has now become the new structural norm, replacing the former psychological and algorithmic floor at $3,000. This shift signals that gold has entered a hyperbolic acceleration regime, where price advances occur in $1,000 fragments, followed by proportional Fibonacci retracements. Historically, when gold completes a $1,000 expansion leg, the market corrects into a 50% retracement (~$500) and may extend into the deeper 78.6% retracement, which currently targets the low $3,000s. These pullbacks are not weaknesses—they are the recalibration phases of a market transitioning toward a parabolic structure. The emotional energy behind these moves—specifically FOMO inflows from late…

The cost of living in Michigan is still less than average across the view of all America’s state costs/expenses. Though these low costs assist many Michiganders in their financial position, as new expenses go upwards faster than incomes from jobs, there are many Michiganders who cannot pay off credit card bills, medical expenses, or other loans before they become unmanageable. Many Michiganders are seeking to find out how to consolidate their debts, seek out debt counselling, or settle their debts. You can also explore our broader nationwide overview of debt-relief strategies, which may help Michiganders compare every path available.  What…

Major U.S. equities indexes wavered between gains and losses Thursday afternoon, as tech stocks climbed but consumer staples stocks lost ground. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% lower in recent trading, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ticked up 0.1%. Dollar General (DG) led gains on the S&P 500, with its stock up close to 12% after the discount retailer became the latest to post solid quarterly results, after a strong report from rival Dollar Tree (DLTR) yesterday. Meta Platforms (META) shares also surged, with shares jumping 4% following a Bloomberg report the Facebook and Instagram parent is looking to…

(Investing) – LONDON – Oil prices were steady on Thursday, with the market focused on Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil assets, while stalled peace talks tempered expectations of a deal restoring Russian oil flows.  rose 35 cents, or 0.6%, to $63.02 at 1326 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 41 cents, or 0.7%, to $59.36. Ukraine hit the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s central Tambov region, a Ukrainian military intelligence source said on Wednesday, the fifth attack on the pipeline that sends Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. The pipeline operator and Hungary’s oil and gas company later said supplies…

Key Takeaways The U.S. economy is losing jobs at the fastest pace since the pandemic, according to a pair of private-sector reports on the labor market released Thursday.The reports from Challenger, Gray & Christmas and Revelio Labs highlighted concerns that the job market is slowing down if not shrinking outright. With government data on the job market for November still weeks away, a pair of private reports show pink slips are flying faster while job offers are slowing down.U.S. employers shed 9,000 jobs in November, according to a job market report by Revelio Labs, an analytics company that tracks job…