alexsl Stock index futures rose on Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones broke out of three days of gains and ended lower. Dow futures ( INDU ) rose 0.35% to 50,297. S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) gained 0.39%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) advanced 0.31%. On the economic calendar, investors will receive initial jobless claims and existing home sales data during market hours. Initial jobless claims ...
alexsl Stock index futures rose on Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones broke out of three days of gains and ended lower. Dow futures ( INDU ) rose 0.35% to 50,297. S&P 500 futures ( SPX ) gained 0.39%, and Nasdaq 100 futures ( US100:IND ) advanced 0.31%. On the economic calendar, investors will receive initial jobless claims and existing home sales data during market hours. Initial jobless claims for the previous week showed an increase of 22,000 to 231,000, while existing home sales rose 5.1% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35M in December. U.S. Treasury yields were mixed across the curve. The 10-year Treasury yield ( US10Y ) was flat at 4.18%, and the 30-year Treasury yield ( US30Y ) dipped slightly to 4.81%. The shorter-end 2-year Treasury yield ( US2Y ) fell 1.5 basis points to 3.51%. Top S&P 500 gainers in premarket trading included Equinix ( EQIX ) +8.64%, Sandisk ( SNDK ) +6.07%, and Micron Technology ( MU ) +3.36%. Decliners included Rollins ( ROL ) -12.50%, Paycom Software ( PAYC ) -8.22%, and Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) -7.74%. More on markets Long Bulls Dow Jones And U.S. Index Outlook: Hawkish NFP Sends Stocks Lower 3 Warning Signs The Stock Market Is Overdue For A Sharp Correction
Long-term investors should look for companies that have durable competitive advantages, which are also called "economic moats." There are a variety of types, such as high switching costs, barriers to entry that impede newcomers, or cost advantages, but what they all have in common is that they help businesses succeed over extended periods of time. When it comes to wide moats , however, a network e...
Long-term investors should look for companies that have durable competitive advantages, which are also called "economic moats." There are a variety of types, such as high switching costs, barriers to entry that impede newcomers, or cost advantages, but what they all have in common is that they help businesses succeed over extended periods of time. When it comes to wide moats , however, a network effect is arguably the greatest advantage a business can have. These eight companies possess this valuable attribute. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Polish homeowners can challenge the fairness of mortgages tied to the nation’s interbank rate, the European Union ’s top court said in a ruling that limits the negative impact on banks because the Wibor benchmark wasn’t itself deemed unfair. Local judges should be able to review Wibor-based loans under EU consumer rules, judges at the EU’s Court of Justice said in a ruling on Thursday. However, th...
Polish homeowners can challenge the fairness of mortgages tied to the nation’s interbank rate, the European Union ’s top court said in a ruling that limits the negative impact on banks because the Wibor benchmark wasn’t itself deemed unfair. Local judges should be able to review Wibor-based loans under EU consumer rules, judges at the EU’s Court of Justice said in a ruling on Thursday. However, they said assessments shouldn’t contest Wibor’s use as a benchmark, and lenders had no obligation to present to borrowers details of how the benchmark is calculated. “The contractual term setting the variable interest rate based on a benchmark such as Wibor may be examined” in the light of EU consumer legislation, the court said. But “since a benchmark such as Wibor can be considered to comply with that legal framework, the term incorporating it does not, in principle and on its own, create a significant imbalance between the parties to the detriment of the consumer.” The final ruling echoes an advocate general’s earlier opinion at the court, seen as offering banks some protection against consumer lawsuits involving the most popular type of loan. So far, lenders have faced about 2,200 court cases in which borrowers seek the annulment of interest payments as the most common scenario. Banks win the vast majority of judgments. Lenders and the financial regulator have strongly rejected the claims, insisting the contracts are valid and noting that the Warsaw Interbank Offered Rate has been an officially recognized benchmark since 2020. The industry remains cautious after a bruising loss over Swiss-franc mortgages that cost lenders more than 100 billion zloty ($28 billion) across some 400,000 lawsuits. The Warsaw WIG-Bank index rose 55% last year and a further 11% this year, supported by an earnings rebound following Swiss-mortgage provisions and an acceleration in lending. “Investors are largely overlooking Wibor disputes, seeing no measurable impact so far and noting that authori...