If Powell was trying to calm things down, it didn’t work on the hard‑money crowd. Peter Schiff, who has been hammering the case for gold and silver for years, immediately framed the market’s reaction as a referendum on the Fed.When I put those pieces together, it feels like the Fed is quietly saying, “We see it, but we’re not going to let gold bully us,” which is not the message metals traders wanted to hear.The combination of rate‑cut expectations, geopolitical stress and central‑bank diversification has d ...

The US economy expanded at a solid pace last year and is coming into 2026 on a firm footing. In support of our goals today, the Federal Open Market Committee decided to leave our policy rate unchanged. Essentially, the economy has once again surprised us with its strength. >> That's true. Will enjoy it while it lasts. The Fed is pausing rate cuts for the first time since July, and President Trump isn't happy about it. writing on True Social that the Fed is hurting America and our national security and costi ...

Landsbankinn's profit in 2025 was ISK 38.0 billion after taxes, as compared with ISK 37.5 billion the previous year.Return on equity (ROE) in 2025 was 11.6%, compared with 12.1% in 2024.Profit in the fourth quarter of 2025 was ISK 8.6 billion and return on equity 10.1%.The Board of Directors intends to propose that the Annual General Meeting approve a dividend payment in the amount of nearly ISK 19 billion for the year 2025, corresponding to around 50% of the year's profit. The Board of Directors is also co ...

Mortgage rates rose for the second consecutive week, with the 30-year fixed up one basis point on average, as yesterday's Federal Open Market Committee decision was expected by the majority of the marketplace.Processing ContentThe move to leave rates unchanged was likely priced into mortgage rates and the benchmarks it uses beforehand. Mortgage pricing is based in part on the 10-year Treasury, as well as spreads with mortgage-backed securities.  How mortgage rates changed this weekThe 30-year FRM averaged ...

Michael Kramer is the founder of Mott Capital, and is a long-only investor who focuses on macro themes and studies trends and options activities to identify and assess entry and exit points for investments in his long-term focused thematic growth strategy. He is a former buy-side trader, analyst, and portfolio manager with 30 years of experience tracking market technicals, fundamentals, and options.Michael Kramer leads the investing group Reading the Markets, where he helps a devoted following of members to ...

US stock market crashes today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq down today. The US stock market faced a significant retreat during Thursday’s mid-morning session, driven by a sharp selloff in megacap technology shares and escalating fears of military conflict in the Middle East. As of 10:41 AM EST, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite plummeted 2.21%, shedding 527.24 points to reach 23,330.21. This downward pressure was mirrored across broader indices, with the S&P 500 dropping 1.21% to 6,893.47 and the Dow Jones Industrial ...

The continued fall of the U.S. dollar comes after a 12-month period ending in December when consumer prices rose 2.7% (7). Food prices, in particular, outpaced that average, rising 3.1%.“Markets are reopening the question of whether the US is asking investors to accept a lower standard of stability, and therefore demanding a higher price for bearing U.S. risk.”“When the person who could jawbone to defend the currency sounds unconcerned, the perceived backstop under the dollar gets thinner,” Doyle said in a ...

Core Insights - Urban demand in India is showing signs of recovery after nearly two years of rural consumption leading the way, driven by improving corporate salary growth, selective hiring, and fiscal support through tax and GST cuts [1][3][8] Urban Consumption - Urban households are facing significant cost pressures, with inflation affecting essential expenses such as school fees, rent, and utilities, which have risen sharply [2] - Urban consumption began to improve in Q3 FY26, supported by GST cuts and an increase in urban wage growth, which rose to 7% in H1 FY26 from 3% in Q4 FY25 [3][4] - Salary growth among large listed companies improved to approximately 6.4% in the first half of FY26, indicating a positive shift in momentum for urban consumption [4] - Job creation in urban areas is improving, particularly at mid and senior levels, although entry-level hiring remains challenging due to AI adoption [5] Rural Consumption - Rural demand, which previously led the recovery, is facing potential moderation due to falling crop prices below MSP levels, impacting farm incomes [6][8] - Despite these risks, rural consumption has remained strong, with rural wage growth picking up and high-frequency indicators showing resilience [6][7] - Agriculture accounts for about 40-45% of total rural income, with allied sectors like construction and services expected to perform well [7] Overall Economic Outlook - Economists agree that India's consumption recovery is entering a new phase, with urban demand showing early signs of revival while rural consumption remains resilient but faces risks from soft crop prices [8]

Key takeaways The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) sets the benchmark rate, which impacts the rates auto lenders set. When the federal funds rate fluctuates, so will the cost to finance a vehicle. The Fed increased the benchmark rate 11 times between 2022 and 2023, and the central bank has cut its rate three times to date in 2025. While auto loan rates have begun to decrease, it will likely take several rate cuts before borrowers see significantly lower rates. Over the past two years, Americ ...

The benchmark rate is one factor affecting the cost of auto loan interest rates, but industry factors affect the cost, too. Both new and used vehicle prices have been climbing since production shortages in 2020. Costs were leveling out, but tariffs on vehicles, parts and raw materials are expected to raise vehicle prices again over the summer. Higher prices mean larger loans and higher interest rates.The increases can be attributed to the higher benchmark rate and more expensive vehicles. Stay up to date wi ...