Stocks fell sharply on Friday after January’s producer price index came in hotter than expected, signaling persistent inflation. The Dow dropped 616 points (1.2%), the S&P 500 fell 0.7%, and the Nasdaq lost 1.2%, continuing a weak February for all major indices. Tech and software stocks were hit hard, with Zscaler down 13%, CoreWeave down 19%, and Nvidia extending its post-earnings slide. Financial and private … Continue reading Dow tumbles 600 points after hot inflation report

OpenAI announced a record-breaking $110 billion funding round on Friday, more than doubling its previous raise from last year and valuing the company at $730 billion. Major investors include Amazon ($50 billion), Nvidia ($30 billion), and SoftBank ($30 billion), with additional investors expected to join. Amazon also announced a multiyear strategic partnership, expanding its existing $38 billion AWS deal by $100 billion over eight years … Continue reading OpenAI announces $110 billion funding round

Netflix shares surged over 9% after the company withdrew from the bidding war with Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets. Netflix declined to match Paramount’s $31-per-share offer, maintaining its previous $27.75 bid, citing the deal as “no longer financially attractive.” Investors welcomed the decision, seeing it as a disciplined move that allows Netflix to refocus on its core business rather than … Continue reading Netflix shares jump 9% as investors back Warner Bros withdrawal

Ford is recalling over 4.3 million pickup trucks and SUVs from model years 2021–2026 due to a software issue that can cause trailer brakes and turn signals to fail. The recall affects F-150s, Super Duty trucks, Rangers, Expeditions, Mavericks, Lincoln Navigators, and 2026 Transit vehicles, with drivers seeing a “Trailer Brake Module Fault” warning if the problem occurs. Ford will provide over-the-air updates starting March … Continue reading Ford recalls over 4.3 million vehicles over software issue

The U.S. Treasury is moving to cut MBaer Merchant Bank AG, a small Swiss bank, off from the U.S. financial system over alleged support for Iranian and Russian actors. The bank, founded in 2018 with roughly $245 million in assets, is accused of funneling over $100 million through U.S. banks for criminals, including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Russian actors. Treasury’s proposed regulation would … Continue reading US moves to cut off a Swiss bank over alleged Iran and Russia money flows

U.S. mortgage rates have dropped below 6% for the first time since September 2022, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 5.98%, according to Freddie Mac. The decline follows Federal Reserve rate cuts and a $200 billion mortgage-backed securities purchase ordered by former President Donald Trump, which has allowed lenders to offer slightly lower rates. While rates are still far above pandemic lows of around … Continue reading Mortgage rates fall below 6% for the first time in years

Spirit Airlines unveiled a plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to slim down its operations, focusing on high-demand routes and peak travel periods while expanding premium-class seating to remain competitive. The airline will concentrate flights from major hubs in Florida, New York, and Detroit, cut underperforming routes, and reduce operations in Latin America, while increasing aircraft utilization during busy times. Spirit plans to shrink its Airbus fleet, reduce costs by $5.5 … Continue reading Spirit Airlines plans to slash flights, fleet in bid to emerge from bankruptcy

Asian and Australian markets surged to record highs Wednesday, following a tech-driven rally on Wall Street amid easing concerns about AI-related disruption. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped over 2% to 58,583.12, while South Korea’s Kospi topped 6,000 for the first time, closing at 6,083.86; Taiwan’s benchmark hit a five-day record high. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.17%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s CSI 300 also advanced. U.S. equities gained overnight, led … Continue reading South Korea and Japan stocks hit fresh highs amid regional gains

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) said Paramount Skydance (PSKY) has raised its takeover bid to $31 per share, up from $30, in a proposal that could surpass WBD’s existing deal with Netflix. WBD is reviewing the revised offer, which is all cash and includes a $7 billion breakup fee if regulators block the merger, plus a $2.8 billion fee to cover Netflix if that deal is abandoned. The board has … Continue reading WBD says Paramount raised its bid to $31 per share

European stocks are expected to open lower Monday as markets react to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new 15% global tariff, up from his previous 10% levy. The U.K.’s FTSE is seen down 0.2%, Germany’s DAX 0.7%, France’s CAC 40 0.4%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB 0.45% lower. Last week, European markets had risen after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a large portion of … Continue reading European stocks to start the week lower as markets react to new Trump tariffs

JPMorgan Chase has, for the first time, acknowledged that it closed President Donald Trump’s accounts and those of several of his businesses following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, as part of Trump’s $5 billion lawsuit against the bank. Trump alleges the closures were politically motivated, disrupted his business operations, and placed him and his companies on a reputational “blacklist” that prevented future banking access. … Continue reading JPMorgan concedes it closed Trump’s accounts after Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

Brad Reese, grandson of H.B. Reese, inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, criticized Hershey’s for replacing milk chocolate with a chocolate-flavored coating in Valentine’s Day Reese’s Mini Hearts, calling the product “cheap” and “inedible.” He also noted similar changes in Reese’s Mini Eggs and Reese’s Pieces, and posted a viral letter demanding the company “Make Reese’s Great Again.” Hershey’s responded that the original Reese’s Peanut … Continue reading Grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups inventor is in pieces over missing milk chocolate

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall of over 3 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice sold in the U.S. and Canada. Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. recalled Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice and Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice due to possible glass contamination. The affected products were produced between September 8 and November 17, … Continue reading USDA Announces Recall on More Than 3 Million Pounds of Frozen Food for Potential Glass Contamination

U.S. economic growth slowed sharply at the end of 2025, with GDP rising just 1.4% annualized in Q4, below the 2.5% forecast, largely due to the record-length government shutdown. Consumer spending and exports pulled back, while federal government spending fell 16.6%, though state and local outlays rose modestly. Despite slower growth, inflation remained elevated, with the core personal consumption expenditures index up 3% in December, … Continue reading Fourth-quarter U.S. GDP up just 1.4%, badly missing estimate; inflation firms at 3%

Bayer has proposed a $7.25 billion (€6.1 billion) nationwide settlement to resolve roughly 65,000 U.S. lawsuits claiming its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiffs allege exposure to Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, led to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers, while Bayer maintains decades of studies show it is safe and denies wrongdoing. The settlement would involve annual payments over 21 years, with amounts varying based on use, … Continue reading Bayer agrees to pay billions to settle Roundup lawsuits

U.S. stock indexes rose Wednesday as technology shares rebounded after an AI-driven selloff, while investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting. The S&P 500 software and services sector climbed 1.4%, led by a 9.5% gain in Cadence Design Systems, though Palo Alto Networks fell 6.3% after lowering its profit forecast. Megacap tech companies also advanced, with Nvidia up 2.6% following a multi-year … Continue reading Wall St rises as tech stocks recoup some losses

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court in a landmark case, K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms, over claims that social media platforms harm children. The plaintiff, a 20-year-old California woman, alleges that Meta and other companies engineered their platforms to addict young users, contributing to her depression and suicidal thoughts. Meta and Google’s YouTube deny the claims, citing safety features, parental … Continue reading Meta CEO to testify in high-stakes trial that could cost Big Tech billions

Amazon shares rose more than 1% on Tuesday, ending a nine-day losing streak that had erased over $450 billion in market value. The drop followed concerns over the company’s $200 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026, a nearly 60% increase from last year, mostly aimed at AI-related infrastructure like data centers, chips, and networking. Other tech giants, including Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta, are also ramping … Continue reading Amazon snaps 9-day losing streak during which it lost more than $450 billion in value

Gold fell below $5,000 on Tuesday, dropping $109.30 to $4,936 an ounce, while silver plunged 5.2% to $73.92 amid the start of China’s Lunar New Year holiday. The absence of Asian buyers, particularly from China, removed key support for precious metals, contributing to the sharp declines, analysts said. Other metals also tumbled, with copper down 2.3% and platinum slipping 4.2% as investor momentum slowed. A … Continue reading Gold prices tumble below $5,000, silver is under $75

Wendy’s plans to close 5% to 6% of its U.S. restaurants in the first half of 2026 as part of a previously announced turnaround plan. The closures follow 28 stores shut during the fourth quarter, targeting consistently underperforming locations while allowing franchisees to focus on more profitable outlets. The chain’s U.S. same-store sales fell 11.3% in the last quarter of 2025 and 5.6% for the … Continue reading Wendy’s will continue closing hundreds of stores through mid-2026

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 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 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 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’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