Dividend stocks have long been a mainstay for investors focused on reliable returns and consistent income. Dividend-paying companies have once again shown their resilience well into 2025, with several ranking among the top performers in the S&P 500. These stocks are known for paying stable dividends and offering solid total return potential by appreciating in…
If you’re part of the Fire community, you likely have a specific retirement date already mapped out, and for good reason. You’ve spent years working hard to get to this point. Alongside that date, you probably have a clear idea of how much you’ll need to support the lifestyle you have been planning for. Key…
ECB: Is The Strong Euro Becoming A Problem By SaltMarsh Economics After easing policy by 200bp since last June, the ECB left interest rates unchanged this week. At 2%, the Deposit rates is squarely in the middle of its 1.5% to 2.5% neutral range – judged to be neither overly restrictive, nor clearly accommodative –…
Airbnb has long been a top choice in the travel rental market, but 2025 may shake things up a bit. Though famous stock analyst Jim Cramer recently gave the rental company a thumbs up, a variety of factors threaten its long-term stability. Cramer cited Airbnb’s year-to-date gains and solid revenue growth as reasons for support,…
Key Points in This Article: Covered call ETFs generate high yields by selling call options, but differ from traditional ETFs by capping upside potential in exchange for premium income. NAV is a critical metric for assessing the sustainability of dividends, as a declining NAV can lead to reduced premiums and eroded capital. High yields must…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the kinds of returns the crypto sector has provided thus far in 2025. In an effort to be transparent, the overall crypto sector has surged nearly 60% over the course of the past year. And that’s after the entire market dipped hard on news that tariffs…
Kabul Edges Toward Disaster As It Becomes First Modern Capital City To Run Out Of Water Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is on the verge of becoming the first modern capital city to run out of water, according to Yahoo/CNN. Residents across the city are in a daily scramble to find enough to drink, cook,…
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), passive income generally includes earnings from rental activity or any trade, business, or investment in which the individual does not materially participate. It can also include income from limited partnerships, stocks, bonds, and other similar enterprises in which the investor is not actively involved. The more passive income…
The Rise Of China’s ‘Surveillance Colonialism’ In Africa Authored by Darren Taylor via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), JOHANNESBURG—African governments are using Chinese artificial intelligence to find, jail, torture, and even kill political opponents and pro-democracy activists, according to several investigations. Researchers say Beijing is exporting its “surveillance state” model to African countries and rapidly…
Key Points A Reddit user earns a good income, pays his bills on time, but has no credit cards. The poster is wondering if he should get a card to pay bills and how the process will work. Autopaying your bills on your credit card, and then autopaying the full card balance, can make managing…
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash I think it’s pretty uncontroversial to say that the MAGA movement is the most powerful and important political movement in America today, by a wide margin. Trump’s control of the presidency, and his unprecedented domination of the Republican Party, mean that even though MAGA isn’t a majority of Americans,…
Lefties, Illegals, & Minorities Are Finally Experiencing “Consequence Culture” Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us, Travel back in time to the year 2021 and you might find yourself in the middle of a bizarre debate over the virtues of “cancel culture”. At the time the political left was aggressively trying to secure long term power…
Buzz This Week Has Been Around China’s Mega Hydro Power Project China’s policymakers are locked in a fight with the deflation monster, and any path to economic recovery hinges on cutting excess supply and production capacity, while reviving the ailing property sector. Tariff tensions with the U.S. have further clouded the outlook this year, adding…
West Virginia Parents Seeking Religious Exemptions To Vaccine Requirements Win Reprieve Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A judge on July 24 granted a reprieve to West Virginia parents whose children were being blocked from attending school because they had not received the required vaccinations. West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey in…
ICE Drastically Expands Use Of Ankle Monitors To Track Immigrants U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered a sharp increase in the use of GPS-enabled ankle monitors for migrants in its Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, according to a June 9 internal memo reviewed by The Washington Post. The memo directs officers to fit…
What’s Thailand’s Endgame If Its Conflict With Cambodia Escalates Into War? Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack, Demilitarization and regime change might be in the cards… The latest clashes between Cambodia and Thailand over their decades-long border dispute, which were arguably initiated by the Thai military to restore its damaged prestige amidst a recent political…
In this economic/financial news report we discuss a recent announcement from Target that will affect millions of American shoppers and cause more trouble for the retailer. This channel contains news and analysis that often includes ‘one mans opinion’. The information conveyed should never be taken as investment advice. Everyone should do their own due diligence…
Trump Administration Moves To Repeal Landmark Obama-Era Climate Finding The Trump administration is taking steps to repeal a key climate policy from the Obama era, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin confirmed Wednesday, according to The Hill. “EPA has sent to the Office of Management and Budget a proposed rule to repeal the 2009…
COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerated Brain Aging Even I People Who Didn’t Get Virus: Study Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Brain aging appears to have accelerated by several months during the COVID-19 pandemic, even in people who did not get sick from the virus, according to a new study. An undated electron…
“Barrage Of Public Criticism”: Xi Jinping’s Admin Eases Alcohol Ban On Officials After Backlash The Xi Jinping administration has revised a widely criticized “alcohol ban” on government and party officials after backlash over its economic impact and excessive enforcement, according to Nikkei. The slight policy adjustment was announced through three key state media outlets, often…
Brazil’s Supreme Court Declines To Arrest Bolsonaro For Violating Social Media Ban Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Brazil’s Supreme Court decided on Thursday not to order the arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro for violating court-imposed restrictions, though the judge said he could be detained for any future violations. Former…
US Will Engage Russia On Nuclear Disarmament Treaty, Trump Says President Donald Trump on Friday responded to a question posed by a reporter for the Russian TASS agency during a press conference on the White House lawn regarding nuclear weapons. The US expects to formally engage with Russia soon on prospects for nuclear disarmament, Trump indicated,…
Appeals Court Upholds Block On California’s Background Check To Buy Ammunition Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled July 24 that a California law requiring background checks to buy ammunition violated the Second Amendment. Ammunition in a store in Petaluma, Calif., on…
Japan Bets On Super Thin, Film-Like Panels to Reclaim Solar Leadership At Expo 2025 At Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan is using an unexpected location—a bus terminal—to highlight its latest innovation: ultrathin “perovskite” solar panels, according to Nikkei. More than 250 of these flexible, lightweight panels line the curved roof of the Yumeshima Transportation Terminal…
Travelers To US To Pay New $250 ‘Visa Integrity Fee’ – What To Know Authored by Arjun Singh via The Epoch Times, The United States will begin charging a new “visa integrity fee” when issuing visas to foreign nationals for admission to the country. The refundable fee was created by a new budget bill, the…
Democratic Party Deletes X Post Accidentally Spotlighting Bidenflation The Democratic Party abandoned meritocracy long ago. Today, it’s fully aligned with the far-left obsession over ‘equity’ and ‘diversity,’ with party leaders openly championing socialism and even praising Marxism. Democrats don’t realize they’re their own worst enemies. The push for a socialist reconstruction of America via their DEI warrior…
This post Is True Value in Crypto or Gold? appeared first on Daily Reckoning. With the Trump Administration headed down the road to higher inflation and the political chaos that results, it is worth asking why there are “only” $4 trillion in notional crypto tokens, this according to the Financial Times. The rise of bitcoin…
PowerChina Wins $4BN Contract For Iraq’s First Major Seawater Desalination Facility Via The Cradle PowerChina has secured a $4 billion contract to build Iraq’s first large-scale seawater desalination plant in Basra, in partnership with local firm Al Ridha Group, Iraqi officials announced. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for…
Earlier this week, I posed the following problem in price theory. The government imposes a binding price ceiling on oranges. But it does not impose any price ceiling on orange juice. After the price ceiling on oranges is imposed, what will happen to the price of orange juice? (Assume a competitive market for oranges.) Show…
“Baseless?!” Authored by James Howard Kunstler, “If you can arrest a former president named Donald Trump, you can arrest a former president named Barack Obama.” – Peachy Keenan on “X” Don’t you think it’s time for The New York Times to stop using the cliché “baseless” when referring to allegations — now, actually, official accusations— of the seditious…
Is Private Equity A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing? Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvce.com, In July 2007, just before the financial crisis erupted, Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince summed up Wall Street’s dangerous exuberance: “When the music stops, in terms of liquidity, things will be complicated. But as long as the music is playing, you’ve got…
Trump: Hamas Will Be “Hunted Down” After “Disappointing” Doha Talks Fail To Release Hostages We reported Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recalled his negotiating team from Qatar as Gaza ceasefire talks have floundered. There were never high expectations, except perhaps in some White House public statements, and another potential chance to free the…
Dividend investors on the search for yield and relative stability in this market have plenty of work to do to identify the specific stocks that can outperform the broader market. And for those looking for passive income streams generated from a highly-diversified pool of stocks, specific exchange traded funds (ETFs) such as the Vanguard Utilities Index…
Single US Water Utility Receives 6 Million China-Based Connection Attempts In 1 Week: Security Report Authored by Catherine Yang via The Epoch Times, A single water utility in California has received more than 6 million hits from China-based addresses within a week, pointing to the Chinese communist regime’s ongoing efforts to scan for U.S. critical…
Momentum investors have a lot to dig through after an explosive tech-led surge from those now-distant Liberation Day lows. Indeed, the tech rally is back online and could help pull the S&P to new record highs steadily through the remainder of the year. And while September and October are typically a choppy period, as investors…
Mexican Beer Sales Go Flat, American Brands Fizz As Trump Tightens Border While the Biden administration was letting tens of millions of illegal aliens into the country, Mexican beer – specifically Modelo Especial – became the best-selling beer in the United States. Now, as US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducts arrests amid a mass…
Key Points The company just announced it expanded its existing collaboration and licensing agreement with Volkswagen Group’s battery maker, PowerCo. The company ended its second quarter with $797.5 million in cash and extended its cash runway into 2029. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor…
Dear Democrats… Authored by Cynical Publius via American Greatness, Dear Democrats: Hey. How have you been? It’s been a while. The kids doing okay? Still trying to choose their genders? How did those investments in Solyndra work out? Listen, we know it’s been a rough 25 years. It feels like ever since that hanging chad election in 2000, we…
Key Points in This Article: The stock market is rising despite growing risks, including falling durable goods orders, uneven earnings, upcoming tech reports, global tensions, and political friction, signaling potential volatility. A spike in the VIX could indicate an imminent market correction, unraveling recent gains as investor complacency fades. Defensive investments focused on stable sectors…
Cathie Wood’s Ark funds have been really heating up in recent months. Perhaps her most intriguing and underrated fund is the Ark Genomics Revolution ETF (ARKG), which is packed full of extraordinary biotech innovators that could experience an AI tailwind like few other industries. Unlike the other Ark funds that have been experiencing S&P-topping returns…
After renting for my entire adult life, I decided to buy my own home. At the end of the summer, I will be moving into a lovely condo just a half-mile from my office on campus. In a certain sense, the move to the condo seems like a downgrade. The building is older than my…
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is one of Jim Cramer’s favorite stocks. He referred to the stock as “an overall piece” while touting its influence in several verticals. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, retail, and advertising are some of the segments that drive Amazon’s profits higher. Cramer has been bullish on Amazon stock for many years, but does that…
Key Points Tesla’s Q2 earnings figures put stock traders in a bad mood. Although Tesla stock is down, the automaker’s valuation remains uncomfortably high. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted,…
There is just something wonderful about growing up, knowing that your parents worked hard and will finally get a chance to rest and relax. At least that is the plan but as is the case with many different things, the best plans don’t always happen as we want them to. Key Points This is an…
France Will Recognize Palestinian State – US-Israeli Backlash Ensues In what may prove to be a major milestone in the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, France will recognize Palestine as an independent state at the September United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron announced late Thursday. While a majority of European countries and an overwhelming…
Key Points in This Article: Palantir Technologies‘ (PLTR) stock surged to a new all-time high after Piper Sandler’s overweight rating and $170 price target, driven by its unique AI-driven growth and $24 billion revenue potential by 2032. Q1 showed 39% revenue growth, with U.S. commercial and government segments excelling, but international revenue declined due to…
Creative Accounting By Bas van Geffen, Senior Market Strategist at Rabobank The ECB left the deposit rate at 2.00% yesterday. That had been widely expected, especially with little new clarity on the trade disputes with the US. Yet, the decision to hold wasn’t entirely driven by “fear” for US tariffs. President Lagarde noted that uncertainty…
Key Points BigBear.ai stock has upward momentum and could hit $10 like it did in February. However, a lot is riding on BigBear.ai’s upcoming earnings report as the company needs to demonstrate continued improvement. Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help…
AI: Over-Promise + Under-Perform = Disillusionment And Blowback Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, Fantasies die especially hard when the dream was over-hyped. The most self-defeating way to launch a new product is to over-promise its wonderfulness as it woefully under-performs these hype-heightened expectations, which brings us to AI and how it is following…
Key Points in This Article: American Eagle Outfitters‘ (AEO) stock surged 12% this week, driven by Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaign and 13% short interest, but its fundamentals distinguish it from true meme stocks. Unlike meme stocks, AEO has a stable business with strong brand recognition and disciplined financial management, not speculative frenzy. Despite the rally,…
Live Updates Live Coverage Updates appear automatically as they are published. AutoNation Revs Higher 10:47 am In further earnings news, AutoNation (NYSE: AN) earned $5.46 in Q2, down 29% year over year but $0.77 better than analysts had forecast. Revenue for the quarter also exceeded expectations at just under $7 billion. AutoNation stock is down 1.7%…
