Stocks rose Friday, with major indexes hitting new records, as investors anticipated a Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The Dow gained 98 points (0.2%), the S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Nasdaq advanced 0.3%, and the Russell 2000 climbed 0.1% to a record high. Apple shares jumped 1.4% on its new iPhone launch, while Tesla rose 2%. Strong corporate earnings and the Fed’s quarter-point rate reduction, … Continue reading Stocks rise, Russell 2000 hits fresh record

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.00%-4.25% in an 11-1 vote, signaling two more cuts may come before year-end amid slowing job growth and persistent inflation. Chair Jerome Powell described the move as “risk management,” though some economists see it as active economic steering. The decision reflects heightened concerns about the U.S. labor market while balancing the Fed’s … Continue reading Fed approves quarter-point interest rate cut and sees two more coming this year

Cracker Barrel shares dropped about 3% Thursday after the company reversed its controversial logo change following conservative backlash, including criticism from President Trump. The short-lived new logo and modern store remodels hurt customer traffic, which fell roughly 8%, prompting Cracker Barrel to revert to its traditional “Old Timer” branding and store design. The chain also lowered its fiscal 2026 revenue forecast to $3.35–$3.45 billion, below … Continue reading Cracker Barrel shares drop as logo change blowback dents restaurant traffic

Nvidia announced it is buying a $5 billion stake in Intel and partnering with the chipmaker to develop PC and data center chips. The deal boosted Intel shares over 30% and Nvidia shares about 3%. Coming weeks after the U.S. government and Japan’s SoftBank invested in Intel, the move positions Intel more prominently in the AI race. Analysts say the partnership strengthens U.S. leadership in … Continue reading Nvidia to invest $5B in Intel and develop chips with onetime rival

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is stepping down after 47 years, accusing parent company Unilever of stifling his activism. Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen said the brand’s independence, promised at the 2000 sale to Unilever, is being undermined, limiting their ability to advocate for social justice causes. The move highlights ongoing friction with Unilever, which recently spun off its ice cream unit, and follows … Continue reading Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns, says parent company “silenced” activism

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed disappointment over reports that China has banned purchases of the company’s AI RTX Pro 6000D chips, affecting major firms like ByteDance and Alibaba. Huang described Nvidia’s China business as “a rollercoaster” and noted that U.S.-China geopolitical tensions and previous export restrictions have complicated operations. Despite setbacks—including a recent Chinese anti-monopoly probe—Huang emphasized the importance of the Chinese AI market and … Continue reading Nvidia CEO says he’s ‘disappointed’ after report China has banned its AI chips

Grocery prices in the U.S. have surged to a three-year high, with sharp increases in fresh produce, coffee, and meat—tomatoes up 4.5%, beef roasts 4%, and instant coffee 4.9%—driving many Americans to struggle with the cost of living. Factors include global tariffs, with about 75% of imported foods facing duties, including a 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee and beef. Meanwhile, some staples like peanut butter, … Continue reading Grocery prices highest in 3 years

Rivian has begun construction on a $5 billion electric vehicle factory east of Atlanta, spanning 2,000 acres in Walton and Morgan counties. The plant is expected to create 7,500 jobs, with production starting in 2028. Rivian will host a community event Sunday and a formal groundbreaking with officials Tuesday, emphasizing its long-term commitment to Georgia’s EV industry despite previous delays, 95.5 WSB Radio has reported. Continue reading Rivian kicks off construction of $5 billion EV plant in Georgia

Credit scores in the U.S. are falling at their fastest rate since the Great Recession, dropping an average of two points this year, according to FICO. Younger Americans, especially Gen Z, are feeling the most pressure, with average scores declining three points and 14% experiencing drops of 50 points or more. Rising delinquencies on auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans highlight growing financial strain, … Continue reading Credit scores drop at fastest pace since the Great Recession

U.S. retail sales rose 0.6% in August, exceeding expectations, with July’s figures also revised up to 0.6%, the Commerce Department reported. Strong gains were seen in e-commerce (+2%), clothing (+1%), and sporting goods (+0.8%), while department stores, furniture, and miscellaneous retailers saw slight declines. The data, unadjusted for inflation, highlights robust consumer spending despite labor market concerns and rising prices, providing a bright spot for … Continue reading Retail sales surprise as Americans increase spending in August

ANZ Group will pay A$240 million ($159.5 million) in penalties—the largest ever against a single entity by Australia’s corporate regulator—for systemic misconduct, including charging deceased customers and acting “unconscionably” in a government bond deal. The settlement, requiring Federal Court approval, resolves five investigations across ANZ’s markets and retail divisions, centered on trading during a A$14 billion bond issuance that pushed bond prices down and cost … Continue reading Australia’s ANZ to pay $160 million over bond deal, customer violations

Ford Motor Co. announced it will relocate its world headquarters to a new 2.1 million-square-foot facility, the Henry Ford II World Center, on the historic site of its 1953 Product Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The state-of-the-art campus, designed to foster collaboration among corporate, design, and engineering teams, will include studios, garages, fabrication shops, conference rooms, a 160,000-square-foot dining hall, and 12 acres of greenspace. … Continue reading Ford Motor Co. announces new world headquarters building at its Dearborn campus

President Trump suggested on Monday that public companies should report earnings every six months instead of quarterly, arguing it would save money and let managers focus on running their businesses. He compared U.S. practices unfavorably to China’s long-term approach, though Chinese companies also report quarterly. Any change would require SEC approval, as quarterly reporting has been mandatory since 1970, The Hill has reported. This proposal … Continue reading Trump: Companies should report on 6-month basis, not quarterly

Rising health-care costs are driving the largest projected increase in employer spending in 15 years. In August, medical care prices rose 4.2% annually, with doctor visits up 3.5% and hospital services 5.3%. Large employers expect overall health coverage costs to increase 9% in 2026, partly due to a projected 12% rise in prescription drug spending, driven by cancer treatments and expensive weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s. … Continue reading Health care inflation rises as patients, employers brace for biggest jump in health spending in 15 years

The Department of Labor’s internal watchdog is reviewing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to examine how it collects and reports key economic data, including monthly inflation and jobs reports. Laura Nicolosi, assistant inspector general for audit, announced the review in a September 10 letter to acting BLS commissioner William Wiatrowski, citing recent large downward revisions to payroll estimates as a primary concern. The BLS … Continue reading Labor Department watchdog launches probe into the Bureau of Labor Statistics

The European Central Bank (ECB) kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday amid ongoing economic uncertainty, particularly stemming from U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump. Markets had anticipated a near-certain 2% key deposit rate, marking the second consecutive hold after the ECB cut rates in June from last year’s record high of 4%. The ECB noted that inflation in the eurozone remains around its 2% … Continue reading European Central Bank leaves rates unchanged as tariff fallout lingers

Consumer prices rose more than expected in August while jobless claims increased, presenting mixed signals for the Federal Reserve ahead of its policy meeting next week. The consumer price index (CPI) climbed 0.4% for the month—the largest gain since January—pushing the annual inflation rate to 2.9%, up 0.2 percentage points from July. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy costs and is considered a … Continue reading Consumer prices rose at annual rate of 2.9% in August

Oracle shares jumped more than 28% in premarket trading after the company projected its AI-fueled cloud revenue to reach $144 billion by its 2030 fiscal year, up from less than $20 billion this year. CEO Safra Catz detailed a rapid growth trajectory, forecasting Oracle Cloud Infrastructure revenue to grow from $18 billion this fiscal year to $32 billion, $73 billion, $114 billion, and $144 billion … Continue reading Oracle stock jumps after CEO says AI-fueled cloud revenue set to soar to $144 billion

Ford unveiled a new advertising campaign, “Ready, Set, Ford,” on Wednesday, marking what the company calls a “fundamental shift” in its branding strategy. The campaign moves beyond vehicle-focused marketing to highlight the people who buy Ford vehicles, emphasizing four core promises: capability, passion, community, and trust. The rollout comes as the auto industry faces uncertainty from tariffs and a slowdown in consumer spending, making brand … Continue reading Ford rolls out new ad campaign amid industry-wide uncertainty

The Labor Department released a report Tuesday showing that nonfarm payrolls in the year prior to March 2025 were revised downward by 911,000 jobs, far exceeding previous estimates. The revision is the largest on record since 2002 and suggests average monthly job growth was 76,000 less than initially reported, raising concerns about the overall health of the labor market. Sectors most affected by the revisions … Continue reading Job growth revised down by 911,000 through March

Nebius Group has inked a landmark agreement with Microsoft worth $17.4 billion over five years to supply GPU-powered AI infrastructure, with an option to expand to $19.4 billion. The deal underscores corporate demand for advanced AI compute capacity, and comes as Microsoft continues investing heavily in AI infrastructure. Nebius, based in Amsterdam, will deploy capacity from its upcoming Vineland, New Jersey data center starting later … Continue reading Nebius Stock Soars After Signing Massive AI GPU Infrastructure Deal with Microsoft

Australia’s ANZ Group plans to eliminate roughly 3,500 jobs—about 8% of its workforce—and an additional 1,000 contractor roles by September 2026. The restructuring, led by newly appointed CEO Nuno Matos (since May 2025), aims to cut duplication, end non-essential projects, and foster a performance-driven culture. The bank will book a restructuring charge of A$560 million (~US$369 million) in pursuit of long-term health and efficiency. ANZ … Continue reading ANZ to Slash 3,500 Jobs in Major Restructuring Under New CEO

London-listed Anglo American has agreed to merge with Canada’s Teck Resources in a monumental $53 billion deal to create a new mining powerhouse. In the merged entity—named Anglo Teck—Anglo American shareholders will own approximately 62.4% while Teck shareholders will hold 37.6%. The new company will be headquartered in Canada, with its primary stock listing in London, and will also pursue listings in key financial markets. … Continue reading Anglo American, Teck Resources to merge in largest mining deal of decade

On September 5, 2025, President Donald Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on the European Union following the European Commission’s decision to fine Google €2.95 billion for antitrust violations in the ad-tech market. Trump denounced the EU’s action as discriminatory, warning that he would launch an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, potentially leading to retaliatory trade restrictions against the bloc. … Continue reading Trump Threatens More Tariffs After EU Fines Google

Stock futures edged higher Monday as investors prepared for key inflation data following a weak August jobs report. Dow futures rose 0.2%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.3%, and Nasdaq-100 futures advanced 0.4%. The producer price index arrives Wednesday and the consumer price index Thursday, both critical for gauging the Federal Reserve’s next moves. Recent hiring data fueled hopes of a Fed rate cut, possibly even … Continue reading Stock futures tick higher to start the week