No, the stock market hasn’t become easier to beat. That’s important to keep in mind as a counter to the argument that, because index funds have “officially won” the battle to manage more money than actively managed funds, the stock market has become less efficient and therefore easier to beat. While this is a convenient narrative that active managers can use to justify their high fees, it simply isn’t true. The... Master your money. Subscribe to MarketWatch. Get this article and all of MarketWatch. ...

The first U.S. presidential election in the era of deepfakes is presenting officials with challenges never before seen at a time when tech giants are scaling back their cyber-defenses.Fabricated images and audio clips designed to sway voters are raising alarms in the days leading up to the Republican Primary in South Carolina on Feb 25 and Super Tuesday on March 5, when both parties will hold primaries in a number of states.“Are protections in place sufficient to thwart” the influence of targeted deepfakes ...

All eyes are on Nvidia Corp. this week — the company will announce its latest quarterly results after the close on Wednesday. It has been dominating the market for graphics processing units (GPUs) being deployed by datacenters for the rollout of artificial intelligence technology. But during what he expects to be another year dominated by “AI enablers,” Ken Laudan, the portfolio manager of the Buffalo Large Cap Fund BUFEX BUIEX suggests considering three stocks of companies involved in network communication ...

Group 1 - The Commerce Department is providing significant funding under the Chips Act, with Intel Corp. potentially receiving over $10 billion in subsidies, which includes loans and direct grants [1] - Intel shares rose by 3.5% in premarket trading, reflecting investor optimism regarding the anticipated funding [1] - GlobalFoundries has reached preliminary terms with the Commerce Department for $1.5 billion to expand and modernize its manufacturing sites in New York and Vermont, leading to a more than 7% increase in its shares premarket [2] Group 2 - Intel is hosting an important event focused on its foundry business, which is considered one of the most significant events in recent memory according to Melius Research analyst Ben Reitzes [2] - The event is expected to highlight Intel's strategy to manufacture chips for other companies, in addition to its own production [2] - Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's virtual attendance at Intel's event may indicate a forthcoming meaningful grant related to the US Chips Act [3]

Shares of Home Depot Inc. HD, +0.35% shed 1.8% in premarket Tuesday, after the home improvement retail giant reported fiscal fourth-quarter same-U.S. store sales that missed expectations and provided a downbeat full-year outlook, but raised its dividend by 7.7%. Net income for the quarter to Jan. 28 fell to $2.8 billion, or $2.82 a share, from $3.36 billion, or $3.30 a share, in the year-ago period, to beat the FactSet consensus of $2.77. Sales fell 2.9% to $34.79 billion, above the FactSet consensus of $3 ...

Barclays on Tuesday outlined plans to restructure its business with a view to cutting its costs by £2 billion over the next two years and boosting its returns to shareholders, with a view to paying out £10 billion in share buybacks and dividends between now and 2026.  In a bid to lift its sliding share price, the British bank’s plans will see it restructure itself into five new segments over the next three years – including a U.K. bank, a U.S. consumer bank, a U.K corporate bank, an investment bank, and a p ...

U.S. stock-index futures moved lower as investors returned from the holiday weekend in cautious mood ahead of earnings reports that will shed light on the health of the consumer and crucial results from AI-darling Nvidia.On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA fell 145 points, or 0.37%, to 38628, the S&P 500 SPX declined 24 points, or 0.48%, to 5006, and the Nasdaq Composite COMP dropped 131 points, or 0.82%, to 15776. The stock market was closed on Monday for Presidents’ Day.What’s driving markets ...

Capital One Financial Corp. intends to purchase Discover Financial Services in an all-stock deal that one analyst notes would “effectively create the largest card issuer in the U.S.” Capital One COF, +0.64% announced the deal late Monday after various outlets reported that a transaction was near. Discover DFS, -0.21% shareholders would receive 1.0192 Capital One shares for each Discover share, which would represent a more than 26% premium to Discover’s Friday close of $110.49.The companies said the transact ...

As Nvidia prepares to publish its much-anticipated full-year results this Wednesday, analysts at JPMorgan say VAT Group, ASML Holding, and ASM International all offer the strongest prospects for investors seeking to cash in on an upturn in the market for microchips. JPMorgan analysts led by Sandeep Deshpande explained that while the slump in the microchip market is now showing signs of improvement, certain segments of the market — including those that supply chips to the auto and industrial sectors — are im ...

The latest showdown between the U.S. and China may take place on the British high street.Shares in London-listed Currys CURY, +37.64% surged 37% on Monday after Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com said it was considering an offer for the struggling U.K. electrical goods retailer.The announcement raises the prospect of a bid battle with Elliott Investment Management after the U.S. hedge fund and private equity group said over the weekend it was considering making a 62 pence cash offer for Currys that valued the ...