Precious metals saw sharp swings Monday as hopes of easing tensions in the Iran conflict briefly boosted investor sentiment. Spot gold fell over 5% to $4,262.50 before recovering to $4,482, while futures dropped around 1.5% after an earlier 10% plunge, extending losses that have totaled roughly 25% since January’s record high. Silver, platinum, and palladium also plunged, with silver hitting a year-to-date low of $63.76 … Continue reading Gold and silver losses ease as Trump postpones Iran energy strikes

Cryptocurrency markets surged Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day pause on U.S. strikes against Iranian power plants, easing fears of a broader conflict. However, Iran’s Fars news agency denied that any talks had occurred, fueling market uncertainty. Bitcoin briefly climbed above $71,000, Ether, Solana, Dogecoin, and Chainlink all rose up to 5%, and gold rebounded to $4,440 per ounce, though gains partially reversed … Continue reading Bitcoin surges above $71,000 as Trump postpones Iran strikes

U.S. stocks jumped Monday after President Donald Trump announced a five-day postponement of military strikes on Iranian power plants, signaling a potential diplomatic opening. Iranian media framed the pause as a U.S. “backdown,” while Trump said Iran had contacted the U.S. to discuss a resolution. The news triggered sharp market reactions: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures initially rose about 3%, the Dow gained roughly … Continue reading U.S. stocks rise, oil prices fall after Trump backs off threat to hit Iran’s power grid

SoftBank Group plans an unprecedented $500 billion AI-focused data center campus in Piketon, Ohio, which CEO Masayoshi Son claims will be the largest construction project in the U.S. The facility, on a former uranium enrichment site, is designed to reach 10 gigawatts of power—enough to rival the world’s largest data centers—and will initially deliver 800 megawatts by early 2028 at a cost of $30–40 billion. … Continue reading SoftBank’s Son Says Ohio Data Center to Be $500 Billion Project

US financial markets fell sharply as the war with Iran intensified, sending oil prices higher and gold to its worst weekly performance in four decades. The Russell 2000 entered correction territory, down 10.3% from its January peak, while the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all posted multi-month lows, erasing six months of gains. Treasury yields surged, with the 10-year hitting 4.39%, as investors sold bonds … Continue reading Stocks, bonds and gold slump while Iran war rages

A federal jury in California found that Elon Musk misled Twitter shareholders with two tweets in May 2022, causing the company’s share price to drop ahead of his $44 billion acquisition. The class-action verdict could result in Musk paying roughly $2.6 billion in damages, though jurors concluded he did not “scheme” to defraud investors. The trial included Musk’s in-person testimony, and the lawsuit was filed on behalf … Continue reading US jury finds Elon Musk misled investors during Twitter purchase

The Federal Reserve voted 11-1 to hold its benchmark interest rate at 3.5%-3.75%, citing mixed economic signals, persistent inflation, and uncertainty from the war in Iran. Fed officials projected slightly faster economic growth and higher inflation for 2026, while signaling one possible rate cut this year and another in 2027, though timing remains uncertain. Rising oil prices and energy disruptions from the Middle East conflict … Continue reading Fed votes to hold rates steady, notes ‘uncertain’ impacts from Iran war

Job creation in the U.S. has effectively stalled, with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noting “zero net job creation” in the private sector over the past six months. Despite slightly higher economic growth projections, the Fed sees little change in the unemployment rate, which rose to 4.4% in February. Powell said the economy may not need as many new jobs due to low labor force … Continue reading Powell: Job creation is near zero

Hyundai Motor North America is halting sales of certain 2026 Palisade models and planning a recall of over 68,000 vehicles after a child died in a seat-related incident. The issue involves second- and third-row power seats that may not detect contact with a person or object when folding or sliding. The recall will cover 60,515 U.S.-produced vehicles and 7,967 in Canada, with repairs provided at … Continue reading Hyundai stops sales of some 2026 models and plans a recall after child’s death

Meta has signed a long-term deal to spend up to $27 billion on Dutch AI cloud provider Nebius, the company announced Monday. Over five years, Nebius will provide $12 billion in dedicated capacity, including deployments using Nvidia’s Vera Rubin AI chips, with Meta able to purchase up to $15 billion more in additional compute capacity. Nebius, founded in 2022 and listed in New York in … Continue reading Nebius jumps 14% after company inks $27 billion infrastructure deal with Meta

About 3,800 workers at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, went on strike Monday, marking the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in four decades. Strikers, many carrying signs in English and Spanish, protested outside the JBS USA-owned facility, citing alleged retaliation and unfair labor practices during contract negotiations. Union officials said workers face dangerous conditions, insufficient pay, and high costs for … Continue reading 3,800 workers are on strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the US

The Bank of England announced that future British banknotes will replace historical figures with images of wildlife, removing figures such as Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, J. M. W. Turner, and Alan Turing. The monarch will remain on the front of the notes, while the reverse will feature native animal species chosen through a public consultation. The decision follows a 2025 survey in which about 60% … Continue reading Churchill scrapped from banknotes. Bank of England says ‘overdue’

The United Kingdom economy stalled in January, with GDP showing no growth, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The slowdown came after weak growth at the end of 2025 and before the economic shock from the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. Rising oil and gas prices linked to the war are increasing inflation risks for the U.K., an energy importer, and pushing mortgage rates … Continue reading UK economy fails to grow in January

U.S. mortgage rates rose this week, with the average 30-year fixed rate increasing to 6.11%, according to Freddie Mac. The jump follows rising bond yields as investors worry about the economic effects of the conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed to 4.25%, pushing mortgage rates higher and threatening recent improvements in housing affordability. Donald Trump … Continue reading Mortgage rates climb to 6.11% as Iran war roils markets

Papa John’s International is considering a $1.5 billion buyout proposal from Irth Capital Management, which offered $47 per share, a 44% premium over the stock’s recent closing price. The stock jumped 15% to about $38.86 following news of the bid. Irth Capital, founded in 2024 and already holding roughly 10% of Papa John’s, is partnering with Brookfield Asset Management on the offer, which would be … Continue reading Papa John’s reportedly weighs $1.5B buyout offer

Cintas Corp. agreed to acquire rival UniFirst Corp. in a $5.5 billion cash-and-stock deal, ending a years-long pursuit of the uniform supplier. UniFirst shareholders will receive $155 in cash plus 0.7720 shares of Cintas stock per share, valuing each UniFirst share at $310. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2026, aims to help the combined company compete in the garment industry … Continue reading Cintas to Buy Uniform Supplier UniFirst in $5.5 Billion Deal

JPMorgan Chase is reducing its exposure to private credit by marking down loans held as collateral, mainly those lent to software firms. The move is a preemptive measure amid concerns that AI-driven disruptions could hurt borrowers and trigger turbulence in the private credit market. By lowering the collateral value, JPMorgan limits how much private credit firms can borrow, and in some cases may require additional … Continue reading JPMorgan Chase reins in lending to private credit firms after marking down software loans

Oracle shares surged 12% after the company reported strong third-quarter earnings and confirmed it will not raise additional debt in 2026 beyond previously announced plans. CEO Clayton Magouyrk highlighted Oracle’s AI infrastructure growth, noting $29 billion in new contracts and efficient data center delivery without negative cash flow. The company’s cloud revenue, including infrastructure and SaaS, rose 44% year-over-year to $8.9 billion. Despite skepticism over … Continue reading Oracle stock spikes 12%

Gold prices fell on Monday as a stronger U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields made bullion less attractive, while higher energy costs fueled inflation concerns. Spot gold dropped 0.8% to $5,130.94 per ounce, and U.S. April gold futures declined 0.4% to $5,138.20. Crude oil surged above $110 per barrel amid the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, raising inflation risks and reducing expectations for near-term interest … Continue reading Gold prices fall as dollar firms, US rate-cut optimism fades

China’s consumer inflation surged 1.3% in February from a year earlier, the largest increase in over three years, driven by holiday-related spending during the extended Lunar New Year. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, rose 1.8%, the fastest pace since March 2019, supported by higher service prices for travel, dining, and entertainment. Producer prices fell 0.9% year-on-year, marking the slowest deflation in more than a … Continue reading China consumer inflation hits three-year high

Oil prices surged close to $120 per barrel Monday before easing slightly amid escalating conflict in Iran, which has threatened Middle East production and shipping. Brent crude peaked at $119.50 and later traded near $113, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate hit $119.48 before falling to $110.17. Civilian targets have been affected, including a desalination plant in Bahrain and smoldering oil depots in Tehran following Israeli … Continue reading Crude oil prices spike above $115 a barrel

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced it will sell seven of its North American parks to EPR Properties for $331 million to strengthen liquidity and focus on its core operations. The parks being divested include Valleyfair (Minnesota), Worlds of Fun (Missouri), Michigan’s Adventure (Michigan), Schlitterbahn Galveston (Texas), Six Flags St. Louis (Missouri), Six Flags Great Escape (New York), and Six Flags La Ronde (Quebec, Canada). Six … Continue reading Six Flags to sell 7 of its parks across US, Canada

Oil prices have surged past $90 a barrel, marking the largest weekly gain since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the conflict in Iran disrupts Middle East energy markets. Brent crude reached $91.89 on Friday, up more than 25% since the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, fueled by storage limits in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Concerns over Gulf energy exports have escalated after Iranian drone attacks … Continue reading Iran war pushes oil price above $90, threatening rise in global inflation

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, falling short of expectations, as severe winter weather and a Kaiser Permanente strike disrupted hiring, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, while long-term unemployment rose to 25.7 weeks—the highest since December 2021. Key sectors such as health care, information services, manufacturing, and government saw job losses, though wages rose 0.4% … Continue reading U.S. payrolls unexpectedly fell by 92,000 in February

More Americans are tapping into their retirement savings for emergencies, with 6% of Vanguard-administered 401(k) participants taking hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% in 2024 and a pre-pandemic average of 2%. The top reasons were avoiding foreclosure or eviction and covering medical expenses, with a median withdrawal of $1,900. The increase reflects expanded withdrawal rules, more automatic 401(k) enrollment, and the growing importance of … Continue reading Record Numbers of Workers Are Raiding Their 401(k) Savings