Author: Money Mechanics

Key Takeaways Americans are thinking about their finances for about four hours every day, a new survey shows. The survey suggests younger generations think about finances more often than their elders, while more than half of the respondents said they’re focusing on inflation and bills. More than a third of those surveyed said financial worries are impacting their sleep. Americans spend nearly four hours a day thinking about money—that’s almost half of a typical workday spent stressing about finances, according to a new survey from Empower. The survey reveals that money is a dominant preoccupation, especially for younger generations like…

(Image credit: Getty Images)All three main U.S. equity market indexes closed lower on Monday amid a continuing sell-off for bitcoin and stocks leveraged to digital assets, as well as tepid economic data. History suggests better things are ahead, at least for the S&P 500, with investors, traders and speculators looking forward to another rate cut by the Federal Reserve.”The S&P 500 clawed its way back from nearly a 5% intra-month drawdown to finish November with a modest 0.1% gain,” LPL Financial Chief Technical Strategist Adam Turnquist writes, citing oversold conditions, solid earnings, renewed AI optimism, and repricing of rate-cut expectations…

Some investors have owned Series I savings bonds (I bonds) for many years, and the 30-year maturity date might be approaching. Others bought Series I savings bonds in recent years to insulate their portfolios from inflation and the ups and downs in the stock market.Whether you are a recent investor in I bonds, have owned them for many years, or are pondering adding them to your investment portfolio, you should be aware of the federal income tax rules.I bonds have important tax advantages for owners. Interest earned on I bonds is exempt from state and local taxation. Also, owners can…

Key Takeaways Airbus said it is near completion of fixing a software issue that had grounded 6,000 of its A320 aircraft.Reports on Monday indicated the European plane maker had found an issue with the fuselage in dozens of planes. Airbus on Monday announced that the vast majority of its A320 passenger jets have been fixed after a software problem led to the grounding of 6,000 of the planes, but the European aircraft maker may have another issue. Airbus said fewer than 100 A320s still need updates to address concerns that “intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning…

Key Takeaways Shares of several major vaccine makers lost ground Monday following a report U.S. vaccine approval rules could become stricter. An internal Food and Drug Administration memo last week reportedly linked COVID-19 vaccines with child deaths and proposed new regulatory measures. A report that vaccine approvals could be set to get stricter is pressuring shares of major vaccine makers. Moderna (MRNA), Novavax (NVAX), BioNTech (BNTX), and Pfizer (PFE) all lost ground Monday, following a report that an internal Food and Drug Administration memo last week proposed new regulatory measures. An email to staff from Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s…

Penny stocks often fly under the radar due to their high volatility. Surf Air Mobility (SRFM), which trades at roughly $2 per share, is a rapidly evolving regional air mobility company. After seven consecutive quarters of meeting or exceeding guidance, and with an improved balance sheet and a high-potential AI software platform nearing commercialization, Wall Street believes this penny stock will evolve more quickly than initially expected. With SurfOS set to launch in 2026 and the company moving toward profitability, some Wall Street analysts predict this undervalued penny stock could skyrocket by as much as 458% next year. www.barchart.com Founded…

The fell to 99.40–99.50 on the first day of December, continuing the depreciation that began at the end of November. While the index recorded its worst weekly performance in four months, both the pricing of an aggressive for the December 9–10 meeting and expectations that a more dovish name may be appointed in place of Jerome are creating pressure. The market has almost made the possibility of a 25-basis-point cut at the December meeting the “base case,” which weakens demand for the dollar amid narrowing interest-rate spread advantages.Impact of Fed Cut and Lack of Data on the DollarThe U.S. federal…

This Week In A Nutshell Rates fell last week as financial markets increasingly priced in a rate cut at next Wednesday’s Fed meeting, but an absence of recent jobs and inflation data makes this one particularly difficult to predict. Mortgage rates may continue to bounce around this week ahead of the meeting, especially against a backdrop where President Trump is nearing a decision for the next Fed chair. Upcoming Attractions This is usually the week with lots of job market data, but the government shutdown has delayed both the JOLTS and jobs reports. ADP employment report (Wednesday): Expected to be…

Key Takeaways Nvidia and Synopsys announced an expanded partnership, with Nvidia making a $2 billion equity investment in the chip design software maker.The deal is giving Synopsys shares a boost Monday after a tough 2025 so far. Chip design software maker Synopsys is the latest tech firm to see its stock surge on an AI partnership with Nvidia. Shares of Synopsys (SNPS) jumped close to 7% Monday morning before paring back some of their early gains after the company said it’s deepening its ties with AI chip darling Nvidia (NVDA), which saw its shares climb around 1% in recent trading.…

(World Oil) – Brazilian oil major Petrobras announced a 2% decrease in its next five-year investment plan to $109 billion, putting dividend payments in doubt at a time of lower oil prices. Shares fell. The state-controlled oil producer is caught between the government’s desire to grow the economy – especially ahead of a 2026 presidential election – and investors who demand high dividends and low debt. While Petrobras announced a regular dividend payout of at least $45 billion for the 2026-2030 period, similar to the previous plan, it didn’t commit to pay any extraordinary payouts to shareholders. Petrobras shares slid as much…