US stock futures rebounded and oil prices eased as traders monitor whether a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East can hold. A flareup of violence in the Middle East has injected fresh uncertainty after a month-long rally that pushed equities to new records, fueled by strong earnings from tech megacaps and gains in chipmakers. Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with the ...
US stock futures rebounded and oil prices eased as traders monitor whether a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East can hold. A flareup of violence in the Middle East has injected fresh uncertainty after a month-long rally that pushed equities to new records, fueled by strong earnings from tech megacaps and gains in chipmakers. Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with the Americans were “making progress.” The Opening Trade has everything you need to know as markets open across Europe. With analysis you won't find anywhere else, we break down the biggest stories of the day and speak to top guests who have skin in the game. Hosted by Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Tom Mackenzie. (Source: Bloomberg)
undefined China’s leading construction machinery manufacturers struggled to grow profits in the first quarter of 2026 despite decent revenue growth, as volatile foreign exchange rates eroded their earnings. The profit squeeze highlights a growing vulnerability for Chinese heavy equipment makers, who have increasingly relied on overseas markets for growth but remain highly exposed to currency fluct...
undefined China’s leading construction machinery manufacturers struggled to grow profits in the first quarter of 2026 despite decent revenue growth, as volatile foreign exchange rates eroded their earnings. The profit squeeze highlights a growing vulnerability for Chinese heavy equipment makers, who have increasingly relied on overseas markets for growth but remain highly exposed to currency fluctuations as they lack deep local manufacturing capabilities.
Minor damage to gates is believed to have been caused by fire that CCTV shows was started deliberately, Met says Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in east London, the Metropolitan police have said. The Jewish security charity Shomrim said fire crews were called out to the building in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, in the early hours of Tuesday...
Minor damage to gates is believed to have been caused by fire that CCTV shows was started deliberately, Met says Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in east London, the Metropolitan police have said. The Jewish security charity Shomrim said fire crews were called out to the building in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, in the early hours of Tuesday. Continue reading...
The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG) is one of the most popular dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the marketplace. It's a bit of a unicorn in that its requirement of long histories of dividend growth is balanced with a weighting strategy that allows it to be more growth oriented. That combination makes it more likely that the fund outperforms the dividend ETF universe in ri...
The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEMKT: VIG) is one of the most popular dividend exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the marketplace. It's a bit of a unicorn in that its requirement of long histories of dividend growth is balanced with a weighting strategy that allows it to be more growth oriented. That combination makes it more likely that the fund outperforms the dividend ETF universe in risk-on markets but lags in down or non-tech driven markets. The latter is what we've seen in 2026 -- underperformance and extra volatility. But tech rallied strongly in April, and that helped boost the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF 's performance again. With the artificial intelligence (AI) trade gaining momentum again, it could be a good time to revisit this fund. Continue reading
The container ship Gunde Maersk sits docked at the Port of Oakland on June 24, 2024 in Oakland, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Danish shipping giant Maersk said one of its commercial vessels successfully transited through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military protection. The Alliance Fairfax, a U.S.-flagged ship operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk L...
The container ship Gunde Maersk sits docked at the Port of Oakland on June 24, 2024 in Oakland, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Danish shipping giant Maersk said one of its commercial vessels successfully transited through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military protection. The Alliance Fairfax, a U.S.-flagged ship operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk Line Limited (MLL), completed the journey without incident on Monday, the company said in a statement, with all crew members safe and unharmed. The ship had been stranded at sea since the U.S. and Israeli-led war against Iran broke out on Feb. 28, Maersk said. It comes as the U.S. Navy seeks to deliver on President Donald Trump's " Project Freedom " initiative, a plan to free ships that have been stranded by Iran's closure of the strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Typically, about 20% of the world's oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping traffic has virtually halted since the war began. U.S. Central Command said via social media on Monday that two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels had successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz, adding that U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers were currently operating in the region. A fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appeared to be close to unraveling on Tuesday after Iranian drones and missiles hit the United Arab Emirates, while Washington said it had sunk Iranian vessels in the strait. Read more Oil prices slide as attacks in Strait of Hormuz threaten fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire Iran attacks UAE; U.S. says it sank boats in Strait of Hormuz Trump says U.S. will 'free' ships trapped in Persian Gulf by Strait of Hormuz closure Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Trump warned that Iran would be "blown off the face of the earth" if it targeted U.S. ships safeguarding commercial traffic through the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on social m...
Supatman/iStock via Getty Images 2025 was a strong year for U.S. equity markets, driven partially by large-cap technology stocks exposed to the artificial intelligence (AI) theme. But the market has become more discerning in 2026. As investors reassess where AI creates value versus where it may erode it, we have seen sectors such as software, brokerage platforms, professional services and insuranc...
Supatman/iStock via Getty Images 2025 was a strong year for U.S. equity markets, driven partially by large-cap technology stocks exposed to the artificial intelligence (AI) theme. But the market has become more discerning in 2026. As investors reassess where AI creates value versus where it may erode it, we have seen sectors such as software, brokerage platforms, professional services and insurance companies sell off on fears of AI disruption. This has some investors looking to allocate toward businesses viewed as more durable. As market leadership rotates and recalibrates, a theme we discuss in our Q2 Equity Market Outlook , allocators have sought refuge in parts of the market that may be less susceptible to AI disruption risk. Sectors such as energy, utilities, industrials and materials outperformed the broader U.S. equity market (and the technology sector) in the first quarter of the year. 1 This market rotation has led to the coining of a new phrase: HALO, which stands for Heavy Assets Low Obsolescence. HALO refers to companies with capital-intensive physical infrastructure that is difficult or impossible to digitize, such as a barrel of oil or a power plant. While AI can impact these businesses, it is more likely to be leveraged for efficiency gains instead of replacing their core competencies. Times have changed Investors looking to bolster their portfolios with resilience against AI-led disruption need to be more nimble and intentional in their allocations today. The reason: With technology and growth equities leading the U.S. market for the past several years, their weights in core indexes like the S&P 500 have increased, leaving less exposure to companies in sectors like energy, utilities, industrials and materials. HALO sectors represented just 17% of the S&P 500 Index at the end of February, compared to the combination of technology and communication services near a 10-year high at 43%, as shown in the chart below. Ample imbalance Weight of selected secto...
Krista Catwood wanted a fun way to exercise, so she started a mall-walking group whose unofficial costume was 1980s garb. The festive, all-ages event has exploded in popularity over the past year. (Image credit: Celeste Noche for NPR)
Krista Catwood wanted a fun way to exercise, so she started a mall-walking group whose unofficial costume was 1980s garb. The festive, all-ages event has exploded in popularity over the past year. (Image credit: Celeste Noche for NPR)
Some investors absolutely thrive in a high-risk environment. I'm not one of them, and if you clicked on this headline, I'm willing to bet you aren't either. If I'm putting my money into a stock, I like to be reasonably certain it's going to pay off. All investments carry risk, mind you. But dividend-paying stocks carry less than most. They're fantastic set-it-and-forget-it investments you don't ne...
Some investors absolutely thrive in a high-risk environment. I'm not one of them, and if you clicked on this headline, I'm willing to bet you aren't either. If I'm putting my money into a stock, I like to be reasonably certain it's going to pay off. All investments carry risk, mind you. But dividend-paying stocks carry less than most. They're fantastic set-it-and-forget-it investments you don't need to keep too close of an eye on. You don't even need to settle for low returns either. With high-yield dividend stocks like Vici Properties (NYSE: VICI) and T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ: TROW) , you can have a solid return with relatively limited risk. These are stocks you can buy, set up a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP), and let the cash compound for years and years. Continue reading
Imposter scams can take many forms, and there are new variants every day. In investment-related imposter schemes, a common thread is that scammers misuse the name of real registered investment professionals or firms to create the appearance of legitimacy. Imposter schemes rely on a tactic known as source credibility--building trust by claiming to be properly registered and employed by a well-known...
Imposter scams can take many forms, and there are new variants every day. In investment-related imposter schemes, a common thread is that scammers misuse the name of real registered investment professionals or firms to create the appearance of legitimacy. Imposter schemes rely on a tactic known as source credibility--building trust by claiming to be properly registered and employed by a well-known firm--and they can be alarmingly convincing. Below are some of the imposter tactics scammers have used to target investors and tips to protect against imposter scams. Imposter scams can start with bad actors who pose as registered investment professionals or other financial experts or who advertise " stock investment groups "--also called "investment clubs"--on various social media channels. These bad actors often direct investors to encrypted group chats on messaging applications such as WhatsApp or Telegram. Continue reading
Insiders are selling tech stocks while analysts and institutions buy them. Which group are investors to follow, given the mixed signals and outlook for earnings
Insiders are selling tech stocks while analysts and institutions buy them. Which group are investors to follow, given the mixed signals and outlook for earnings