Inflation measure falls to nearly five-year low as gas prices fall and housing costs cool

Inflation in the U.S. eased to a near five-year low in January, with consumer prices rising 2.4% year-over-year and core prices, excluding food and energy, up 2.5%, driven by slower rent growth and falling gas prices. Monthly increases were modest, with used car prices dropping 1.8% and gas falling 3.2%, while some items like airline fares, furniture, and appliances saw sharper rises. Housing costs, which … Continue reading Inflation measure falls to nearly five-year low as gas prices fall and housing costs cool

Japan’s economy avoids technical recession

Japan’s economy narrowly avoided a technical recession in Q4 2025, growing just 0.1% compared with the previous quarter, following a 0.7% contraction in Q3. Annualized GDP rose 0.2%, below economists’ expectations of 1.6%, with private consumption supporting modest growth while exports and public spending weakened. The Nikkei 225 edged higher after the data, though the yen weakened against the dollar, and the Bank of Japan … Continue reading Japan’s economy avoids technical recession

American Airlines flight attendants picket as CEO tries to calm frustrated employees

American Airlines flight attendants held a picket outside the company’s headquarters, demanding new leadership amid frustration over low profitability and operational struggles compared with rivals Delta and United. The union issued a vote of no confidence in CEO Robert Isom, who has faced criticism from pilots and mechanics’ unions as well. Isom has promised improvements in profits, schedules, cabin upgrades, and lounges, and the airline … Continue reading American Airlines flight attendants picket as CEO tries to calm frustrated employees

Anthropic closes $30 billion funding round as cash keeps flowing into top AI startups

Anthropic has closed a $30 billion funding round at a $380 billion valuation, making it the second-largest private tech fundraising behind OpenAI’s $40 billion round last year. The company, founded by former OpenAI researchers, is expanding its enterprise-focused AI offerings, including Claude and the coding tool Claude Code, which now generates $2.5 billion in annualized revenue. The fresh capital will support infrastructure, research, and continued … Continue reading Anthropic closes $30 billion funding round as cash keeps flowing into top AI startups

Apple sees $200 billion market-cap wipeout as stock slides on AI fears

Apple’s stock fell 5% Thursday, wiping out $202 billion in market value, after reports suggested delays in rolling out an upgraded version of its Siri assistant. The tech giant had planned to release new Siri features with iOS 26.4 in March, but testing issues may push some updates to iOS 26.5 in May and iOS 27 in September. Problems include Siri relying too heavily on … Continue reading Apple sees $200 billion market-cap wipeout as stock slides on AI fears

Ford reports worst quarterly earnings miss in four years

Ford Motor reported its largest quarterly earnings miss in four years, with adjusted EPS of 13 cents versus 19 cents expected, largely due to unexpected tariff costs and supply disruptions from a Novelis aluminum plant fire. Despite the miss, automotive revenue came in slightly above expectations at $42.4 billion, and full-year 2025 revenue reached a record $187.3 billion, up 1% from 2024. The company posted … Continue reading Ford reports worst quarterly earnings miss in four years

McDonald’s earnings beat estimates as chain’s value push pays off

McDonald’s reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat analysts’ expectations, driven by a value-focused push that has boosted customer traffic. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $3.12 versus the $3.05 expected, while revenue rose 10% to $7 billion, surpassing the $6.84 billion forecast. Same-store sales climbed 5.7% overall, led by a 6.8% increase in the U.S., with promotions like the Grinch Meal and Monopoly … Continue reading McDonald’s earnings beat estimates as chain’s value push pays off

January jobs report smashes expectations as payrolls grow by 130,000

The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs in January, exceeding expectations, while the unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.3%, according to Labor Department data. However, revised figures show that 2025 overall saw just 181,000 jobs added, the slowest annual growth outside a recession since 2003, with much of January’s gains concentrated in healthcare and construction. Government jobs continued to decline at the federal, state, and local … Continue reading January jobs report smashes expectations as payrolls grow by 130,000

Bitcoin Falls Below $70,000 After Wild Roller-Coaster Ride

Bitcoin fell below $70,000 on Monday, sliding to $69,037 after last week’s volatile swings that saw it drop to $60,033 before rebounding above $70,000. The cryptocurrency has struggled to maintain bullish momentum despite institutional adoption and a crypto-friendly U.S. administration. Volatility remains high, with the Bitcoin Volmex Implied Volatility Index spiking above 97%, the largest intraday jump since the 2022 FTX collapse. Investor interest remains, … Continue reading Bitcoin Falls Below $70,000 After Wild Roller-Coaster Ride

Grocery giant Kroger names former Walmart executive Greg Foran as CEO

Kroger has appointed former Walmart executive Greg Foran as its new CEO, following a year-long search after Rodney McMullen was ousted in March for conduct “inconsistent” with company policies. Foran, formerly CEO of Air New Zealand and head of Walmart U.S., is credited with turning around Walmart’s operations, achieving 20 quarters of comparable sales growth. He takes over as Kroger faces weak consumer spending and … Continue reading Grocery giant Kroger names former Walmart executive Greg Foran as CEO

Novo Nordisk sues Hims & Hers over copycat versions of Wegovy

Novo Nordisk is suing telehealth provider Hims & Hers for marketing unapproved, cheaper copies of its Wegovy obesity pill and injections, claiming the compounded drugs infringe on its patents and put patients at risk. The lawsuit seeks to permanently stop Hims from selling these copycats and to recover damages, as Novo accuses Hims of mass-producing “personalized” medicines illegally. Hims has defended its practices, calling the … Continue reading Novo Nordisk sues Hims & Hers over copycat versions of Wegovy

Uber ordered to pay $8.5 million in trial over driver sex assault claims

A U.S. jury ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to Jaylynn Dean, who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver when she was 19, in the first bellwether trial of more than 3,000 similar lawsuits against the company. The jury found the driver was acting as an agent of Uber, holding the company liable, but declined to award punitive damages. Uber said it will … Continue reading Uber ordered to pay $8.5 million in trial over driver sex assault claims

South Korean crypto firm accidentally sends $44 billion in bitcoin to users

South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb said it accidentally distributed more than $40 billion worth of bitcoin to customers as promotional rewards, triggering a sharp selloff. The error occurred when users meant to receive small cash bonuses instead received at least 2,000 bitcoins each, affecting 695 customers. Bithumb said it recovered 99.7% of the mistakenly distributed bitcoin within 35 minutes and stressed the incident was not … Continue reading South Korean crypto firm accidentally sends $44 billion in bitcoin to users

Hims & Hers pulls copycat weight-loss pill after threats of legal action

Hims & Hers said Saturday it will pull its compounded semaglutide weight-loss pill after backlash and threats of legal action. The telehealth company said it decided to stop offering the treatment following discussions with industry stakeholders, while emphasizing its commitment to safe and affordable care. The pill was intended as a cheaper alternative to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, priced as low as $49 for the first … Continue reading Hims & Hers pulls copycat weight-loss pill after threats of legal action

‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts

Will Lewis announced he is stepping down as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post after two turbulent years marked by controversy, deep financial losses, and mass layoffs. More than a third of the newsroom was cut after losses reached as high as $100 million, with Lewis largely absent from public explanations to staff or readers. Journalists, having lost confidence in his leadership, appealed directly … Continue reading ‘Washington Post’ CEO resigns after going AWOL during massive job cuts

Beloved restaurant chain stuns patrons by closing all locations after 30 years

Darden Restaurants announced it will close the remaining 28 Bahama Breeze locations in the coming months, marking the end of the Caribbean-themed chain. Half of the locations will shut down entirely by April 5, while the other half will be converted into different Darden-owned restaurants over the next 12 to 18 months. The company said the decision follows earlier closures last year and reflects a … Continue reading Beloved restaurant chain stuns patrons by closing all locations after 30 years

Gold and silver extend rebound but concerns over volatility linger

Gold and silver prices climbed again on Wednesday as investors returned to precious metals following last week’s sharp selloff. Spot gold rose about 2.4% and silver surged nearly 6%, rebounding from a historic plunge that saw silver post its worst one-day drop since 1980. Analysts said the recovery was driven by dip buying, a softer U.S. dollar, and stabilizing broader markets. Mining stocks mostly gained … Continue reading Gold and silver extend rebound but concerns over volatility linger

Stocks and bitcoin sink as investors dump software company shares

Stocks fell sharply Tuesday as investors sold off software and data companies amid fears that new AI tools could disrupt their businesses. The tech sector led losses, dragging the S&P 500 down 0.8% and the Nasdaq Composite down 1.4%, after Anthropic unveiled an AI agent capable of handling tasks across law, finance, and data analytics. Major firms like Salesforce, Thomson Reuters, CoStar, and the London … Continue reading Stocks and bitcoin sink as investors dump software company shares

Oracle rises after company announces $50 billion fundraising plans

Oracle shares rose 2% Monday after the company announced plans to raise up to $50 billion to expand data center capacity for its cloud customers. The funding, expected in 2026 through a mix of debt and equity, will support rising demand tied to AI infrastructure from clients including Nvidia, Meta, OpenAI, and TikTok. The move comes amid a broader surge in AI-related data center investment, … Continue reading Oracle rises after company announces $50 billion fundraising plans

Disney beats Wall Street expectations propelled by theme parks and streaming

Disney reported fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations, driven by strong performance at its theme parks, resorts, and cruise business. The experiences segment generated more than $10 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, with domestic park revenue up 7%, though international visitation remained softer. Overall revenue rose 5% year over year to about $26 billion, while adjusted earnings came … Continue reading Disney beats Wall Street expectations propelled by theme parks and streaming

Silver and gold waver after last week’s historic plunge

Gold and silver prices were volatile Monday following a sharp selloff at the end of last week. Silver futures slipped slightly after plunging 28% on Friday, while gold fell more than 3% after dropping nearly 10% and falling below $5,000 an ounce. The selloff was driven by a stronger U.S. dollar, higher margin requirements, and market reassessment after President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the … Continue reading Silver and gold waver after last week’s historic plunge

Gold surges past $5,500 amid Iran tensions, weakening US dollar

Gold prices hit a record above $5,500 an ounce amid President Donald Trump’s threats of military action against Iran and a weakening U.S. dollar. The rally has pushed gold up more than 20% since the start of the year, following a 64% gain in 2025, driven by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in global markets. Investors continue to favor gold as a “safe haven” amid concerns … Continue reading Gold surges past $5,500 amid Iran tensions, weakening US dollar

Microsoft lost $357 billion in market cap as stock plunged most since 2020

Microsoft shares fell about 10% following an earnings report that fell short of some investor expectations, marking the stock’s biggest daily drop since March 2020 and cutting its market cap by $357 billion to $3.22 trillion. Azure and cloud services growth came in at 39%, slightly below consensus, while revenue guidance for the More Personal Computing segment, including Windows, was lower than expected, along with … Continue reading Microsoft lost $357 billion in market cap as stock plunged most since 2020

Apple sales surge 16% on ‘staggering’ iPhone demand

Apple reported stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings, with revenue up 16% year-over-year and net income of $42.1 billion, or $2.84 per share, surpassing analyst forecasts. iPhone sales surged 23% to $85.27 billion, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17, while the active installed base of Apple devices grew to 2.5 billion. Services revenue rose 14% to $26.34 billion, and iPad sales grew 6% to $8.6 … Continue reading Apple sales surge 16% on ‘staggering’ iPhone demand

Amazon to lay off 16,000 employees after grocery shakeup

Amazon announced it will cut 16,000 corporate jobs, marking the second major reduction in less than six months as the company restructures after pandemic-era hiring surges. Executive Beth Galetti said the layoffs aim to reduce bureaucracy, increase ownership, and streamline management layers, while stressing that large, recurring cuts are not planned. The move follows October 2025 layoffs of 14,000 employees and comes amid CEO Andy … Continue reading Amazon to lay off 16,000 employees after grocery shakeup