AI. Market records. Tariffs. Penguins. TACO.It's been a big year of economic shocks and surges as the international framework of global trade was shredded.In other major news, a company famous for making gaming PC chips became the world's most valuable, and Australia's key interest rate stuttered downwards then flatlined.George Tharenou, chief economist for Australia at investment bank UBS, was in New York during April's so-called "liberation day", when US President Donald Trump revealed a sweeping regime o ...

The past week had many macroeconomic events, which were important for @MNFund_ to build their strategy and thesis from.In that light; the allocations remainly relatively large in the markets and highly focused on the volatility trading.Why?Read more about it here:MN Fund (@MNFund_):During the past week, several important events took place.1. US Unemployment Rate: 4.6% vs. 4.4% expected.2. CPI Data: 2.7% vs. 3.1% expected.3. Bank of Japan decided to hike their interest rates by 25bps.All of these events have ...

join us now. Looks like he swallowed a caneric count counselor to to uh the Treasury Secretary Joe Leavia. You might actually know things instead of just being conjecturing what you heard this discussion.>> Yeah, I mean there are four great candidates. I mean the street is very familiar with all four and they would all be very good and I think Steve is exactly correct. The secretary is done a very thorough process and is going to give the president that list. He's given the president the list and it's the p ...

Core Viewpoint - Gold prices are experiencing upward momentum due to economic and geopolitical factors, with analysts anticipating further rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, which makes gold more attractive compared to yield-bearing assets [2][3]. Group 1: Current Gold Prices - Gold futures opened at $4,369.90 per troy ounce, slightly down from the previous closing price of $4,387.30, which was a record high since October [1]. - The price of gold reached $4,444 during early trading [1]. - The one-year gain for gold as of December 19 was 69% [3]. Group 2: Price Changes Over Time - The opening price of gold futures was 0.4% lower than the previous Friday's close [3]. - Over the past week, gold prices increased by 1.4%, by 8.4% over the past month, and by 67.7% over the past year [8]. Group 3: Factors Influencing Gold Prices - Economic and geopolitical conditions, including U.S.-Venezuelan tensions and anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts, are significant drivers of gold prices [2]. - Key factors affecting gold prices include geopolitical events, central bank buying trends, inflation, interest rates, and mining production [11].

Bitcoin is limping into Christmas week with no Santa rally in sight. And Gabriel Selby, head of research at CF Benchmark, says it’s unlikely that the price will recover from its current downtrend until the US Federal Reserve gets a better grip on the economy. With the record US government shutdown delaying inflation data, the central bank will tread lightly and that means buyers are unlikely to tap into the crypto and push up the price, Selby wrote in an investor note shared with DL News. “Until we get ...

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images Quick Read RWR holds $1.7B in assets and yields roughly 4% but lags the broader market with only 3% gains year-to-date. Goldman Sachs forecasts two more Fed rate cuts in 2026 to bring rates down to 3% to 3.25%. Top holding Welltower trades at 131x earnings despite a 44% year-over-year decline in quarterly earnings. If you’re thinking about retiring or know someone who is, there are three quick questions causing many Americans to realize they can retire earlier tha ...

Core Viewpoint - Lowe's shares have underperformed compared to the S&P 500 in 2025, raising questions about potential recovery in 2026 [3][4]. Group 1: 2025 Performance - Lowe's share price decreased by 0.1% through December 15, 2025, while the S&P 500 appreciated by 15.6% [3]. - Including dividends, Lowe's total return was 2.8%, significantly lower than the S&P 500's total return of 17.3% [3]. - The company's market capitalization stands at $135 billion, with a current share price of $240.44 [4]. Group 2: Sales and Financial Metrics - Lowe's reported positive same-store sales over recent quarters, but fiscal third-quarter comps only increased by 0.4% [5]. - The increase in comps was driven by higher spending, with the average ticket contributing 3.4 percentage points, while traffic decline accounted for a 3 percentage point drop in comps [5]. - The gross margin for Lowe's is 31.42%, and the dividend yield is 1.95% [4][5]. Group 3: Economic Factors Influencing 2026 - Lowe's sales are closely tied to the overall economy, as consumers are more likely to undertake home improvement projects when they feel economically secure [6]. - Key economic indicators to monitor include new and existing home sales, as these typically lead to increased remodeling projects [7]. - Interest rates, particularly long-term Treasury yields and short-term rates set by the Federal Reserve, will impact mortgage rates and home equity loans, affecting homebuying and renovation financing [8]. Group 4: Employment and Consumer Confidence - Employment trends show signs of weakness, which could deter consumer spending at Lowe's for significant projects [9]. - Consumer confidence is crucial; higher confidence levels typically lead to increased spending, which can boost economic growth [9]. Group 5: Strategic Initiatives - Lowe's is focusing on the professional contractor market, having made significant acquisitions, including Foundation Building Materials for $8.8 billion and Artisan Design Group for $1.3 billion [10]. - Management's commentary on progress in the professional contractor segment and sales growth in this market will be important to monitor [10].

Meanwhile, Wall Street is bracing for a quarterly event known as “triple-witching,” during which derivatives contracts linked to equities, index options, and futures expire, prompting traders collectively to either roll over their current positions or initiate new ones. According to Bloomberg, a record $7.1 trillion in notional open interest is set to roll off today as contracts expire across the U.S. options market.U.S. rate futures have priced in a 75.6% probability of no rate change and a 24.4% chance of ...

Find out which banks are offering the best MMA rates right now. The Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate three times in 2024 and recently made its third rate cut in 2025. As a result, deposit interest rates — including money market account rates — have been falling. It’s more important than ever to compare MMA rates and ensure you earn as much as possible on your balance. A look at the best money market account rates today Although money market account rates are elevated by historical standards, t ...

Pay growth in the euro area is set to accelerate in the latter half of 2026, supporting the ECB’s assessment that there’s currently no need to lower interest rates further https://t.co/Jl3NradJYe ...