Wall Street is still weighing the implications of the Fed’s most substantial shift in its monetary policy thinking in years. In essence, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday stressed the primacy of the labor market in its mission, even if it means that inflation rose to 2% aboveRead More →
Since Americans tightened their belts during the coronavirus pandemic, total household debt has fallen quarterly for the first time since 2014. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that total household debt fell by $34 billion in the second quarter, a decrease of 0.2%. This is the largest declineRead More →
The numbers: Initial jobless claims rose in the week ended July 18 for the first time since late March. New applications for unemployment benefits, a rough gauge of layoffs, rose by 109,000 to 1.42 million, the Labor Department said Thursday. The figures are seasonally adjusted. Economists polled by MarketWatchRead More →
Major U.S. stock indexes traded higher Monday afternoon, as investors look forward to quarterly results from corporations over the coming days. Investors also focused on positive developments from coronavirus vaccine candidates. How are benchmarks performing? The Dow Jones Industrial Average US:DJIA rose 22 points, or 0.1%, to 26,694, reversingRead More →
U.S. stocks ended higher Friday, with support attributed in part to optimism over a coronavirus treatment as investors attempt to gauge the threat to the economic outlook from a rise in COVID-19 cases. How did benchmarks perform? The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +1.43% rose 369.21 points, or 1.4%,Read More →
Last year, billionaire Robert Smith shocked about 400 Morehouse College graduates (and people around the world) when he announced that he would pay off their student debt. Today, he returns with an initiative that he believes will address the challenges faced by black student loan borrowers on a broaderRead More →
The European Central Bank (ECB) may be fearing default as rumors circulate that it plans to plant at least half a trillion euros of “bad” debt in a “bad bank.” As Reuters reported on June 10 citing two people familiar with the matter, the ECB now wants to quarantine itsRead More →
Getty Images Massive disruptions in China’s economy cause by COVID-19 are cascading throughout the rest of the world, including the United States. The numbers: Most U.S. manufacturers said business began to slow to a crawl in February as supply bottlenecks tied to the coronavirus impaired their ability to get parts,Read More →
The U.S. stock-market rally has unraveled, with a period of historic gains coming to a screeching halt, as fear that the coronavirus epidemic may reach America rattles Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -1.39% fell into correction on Thursday, widely defined as a drop of at least 10%,Read More →
A historic week for the stock market ended with a big, fat question mark: what will the government and the Federal Reserve do about the coronavirus outbreak that threatens to decimate the longest-running bull market on record? The infectious disease, Covid-19, which reportedly originated in Wuhan, China, late last year,Read More →
Investing lore has it that bond investors are the “smart money” since they know their way around financial statements. I’m not sure this is true. But if it is, bond guru Mark Vaselkik may qualify as one of the smarter investors around. He’s the chief investment officer for fixed incomeRead More →
Kevin Muir of “The Macro Tourist” admits he’s typically an ursus arctos horribilis — grizzly bear — when it comes to the bond market, but, with stocks selling off hard, he can’t resist a trade he says is “setting up beautifully” in this climate. “I am aware that the virusRead More →
Unemployment hasn’t been this low for 50 years, but a record one-quarter of student loans from a popular federal program qualified for easier repayment plans to help borrowers avoid default, according to DBRS Morningstar. Income-based repayment plans were being used on 24.7% of $452 billion worth of student loans withRead More →
Dear Catey, I am a 40-year-old law-enforcement officer and hope to retire in 13 or 14 years. At that time, I will have 30-plus years on the job with a pension giving me 70% of my current income with a cost-of-living annual percentage increase around 2% or 3%. Additionally IRead More →
U.S. Treasury yields extended their weeklong slump on Friday as investors worried that the economic impact of COVID-19 may not be contained to China, and is spilling over into neighboring regions. What are Treasurys doing? The 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, -3.50% fell 5.4 basis points to a more thanRead More →
skynesher/iStock Young couple using digital tablet with their financial advisor in the office. How are financial advisors investing their clients’ money? The most recent edition of the Advisor Insights Guide from BlackRock’s Portfolio Solutions team sheds some light. The guide, which covers the third quarter of 2019, aggregates information fromRead More →
By Davide Barbuscia and Saeed Azhar DUBAI (Reuters) – Citi (N:) and Deutsche Bank (DE:) have started talks with other banks to sell roughly $9 billion in debt Dubai raised to take full control of DP World (DI:) and refinance borrowings of Dubai World, sources familiar with the matter saidRead More →
The biggest U.S. dairy farming cooperative struck a $425 million deal to buy dozens of plants from bankrupt milk processor Dean Foods Co., in a deal executives said would preserve jobs and markets for farmers’ milk. The deal, which was proposed by Dairy Farmers of America, requires approval of theRead More →
The human mind often works in fascinating ways that can help or hurt investors. If someone has to deliberately take action in order to participate in something, they are far less likely to do so than if they were signed up automatically with the option of not participating. This opt-in/opt-outRead More →
As the COVID-19 spreads and the patient count and death toll grow, economists are slashing their once-rosy expectations for global growth in 2020. But amid the anxiety, there’s one bright spot in the U.S. that is likely to be immune from the virus fallout. Analysts say the housing market isn’tRead More →
U.S. Treasury yields traded higher on Tuesday as reports that the spread of COVID-19 may be slowing down helped to cheapen prices for government paper, drawing investors to the Treasury Department debt auction in the afternoon. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee,Read More →
The U.S. central bank should keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the time being, as growth is in a good place and inflation should hit the central bank’s 2% annual target, two Federal Reserve officials said Monday. “My own view right now is that we should hold steady forRead More →
© Reuters. Abu Dhabi in talks with banks for new debt issues: sources By Davide Barbuscia and Yousef Saba DUBAI (Reuters) – Abu Dhabi has been in talks with banks for potential debt sales in the international markets this year as the oil-rich emirate plans to engage global fixed incomeRead More →
U.S. Treasury yields fell Thursday, extending their week long drop, as growing concerns about the coronavirus epidemic and the prospect for the World Health Organization to declare it a global emergency kept haven assets in demand. What are Treasurys doing? The 10-year Treasury note yield TMUBMUSD10Y, -0.81% was downRead More →
Fears around China’s ability to contain a deadly coronavirus outbreak have given the U.S. junk-bond market its first major test of the year. Laredo Petroleum Inc. LPI, +2.21% and Range Resources Corp. RRC, +3.61% were two energy companies in January from a deluge of U.S. businesses that raced toRead More →
