Investing News

The shipping industry includes companies that transport cargo around the world, from grains to apparel to electronics to appliances. In spite of the term “shipping,” these companies often transport commodities and merchandise by air, sea, and on land by truck or train. They also provide storage and other logistics. Some of the largest shipping companies

Silver is valued both as an industrial metal and as a precious metal. It is used in jewelry, electronics, and photography. Many investors use it as a safe haven in times of economic turmoil and sometimes as a hedge against inflation. Silver mining companies are engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of mineral

The steel industry is part of the basic materials sector and consists of companies involved in steel production, mining, and related activities. Although steel historically has been a major U.S. industry, the number of steel mills that produce the metal has declined sharply in the past several decades due to foreign competition. Some of the

The oil & gas industry comprises upstream companies that explore and produce energy, midstream pipeline companies that transport and store energy, and downstream companies that refine oil and gas into finished products. Additionally, there are companies that provide oilfield drilling equipment and services. Some also manufacture and maintain equipment used in production. The industry’s biggest

Movie theater companies own and operate cinemas and concession stands in both local and national chain models. As a component of the consumer discretionary sector, movie theaters tend to perform well when customers have disposable income and poorly when the economy is struggling or during times of market turbulence. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated movie theaters

Coming up with decent gift ideas isn’t always straightforward. Younger children usually desire the latest fad that they’ll probably soon lose interest in, while older generations tend to buy what they need and are notoriously difficult to satisfy. In many ways, you can’t go wrong with gifting shares in a company. Sure, it may not

“Retirement accounts with ill-conceived beneficiary designations could potentially cost your family tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars if done wrong,” according to Dan Stewart, president of Revere Asset Management. Social Security benefits have an automatic survivor benefit, but beneficiary designations are crucial for retirement plans, such as IRAs. For 401(k) plans

The industrial sector includes companies that produce machinery, equipment, and supplies that are used in construction and manufacturing, as well as those that provide related services. These companies are closely tied to the economy, and their business volume often falls sharply during recessions, though each industrial subsector often performs differently. Well-known companies include Lockheed Martin

What Is BRIC? BRIC is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The BRIC economies, or the “Big Four,” were collectively seen as emerging economic powerhouses. Economist Jim O’Neill, chair of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, introduced the acronym in his 2001 paper, “Building Better Global Economic BRICs.” After the 2008-2009 financial crisis the economic

Peloton Interactive (PTON) is cutting more jobs to reduce costs. CEO Barry McCarthy said the struggling fitness equipment maker has about six months to turn itself around or it likely won’t survive as a viable stand-alone business. McCarthy indicated in a note to employees and in interviews that the connected-fitness firm will lay off another

Running out of money during retirement is a fear that haunts many of us. An inadequate pension, an unexpected financial emergency, or the death of a breadwinning spouse could suddenly make life very uncomfortable and push an older, already vulnerable person over the poverty line. One potential solution for struggling older property owners is to

Mortgage rates again moved a notable increment lower Tuesday, resulting in an almost two-tenths of a point drop so far in October’s 30-year average. Now sitting in high 6% territory, it was just a week ago that the flagship average recorded a 20-year high in the mid-7% range. Today’s National Mortgage Rate Averages Rates on

The time it takes a savings bond to reach face (par) value depends on the series of bond and the value at which it was sold. There are presently three different series of U.S. savings bonds. Series EE and Series I are intended to be savings bonds, and Series HH is intended to be an

If you’re saving for retirement in a Roth IRA, index funds and actively managed mutual funds are two of your investment options. Both help diversify your portfolio, but they have different investment objectives, management styles, and—especially—costs. Key Takeaways You can hold a variety of investments in your Roth IRA, including actively managed mutual funds and

The non-fungible token (NFT) world continues to evolve, with investors looking for new collections to create returns in a bear market. This week, DoDoor, Kitaro World, and Renga Black Box are among the top trending NFT collections. Key Takeaways Kitaro World surged 1,270% in value over the past week after combining web2 and web3 ideas for its

A long-awaited digital collectible feature has finally arrived on Instagram after parent company Meta announced last week that its non-fungible tokens (NFTs) would be available to millions of U.S. users. The new feature lets Facebook and Instagram users connect their cryptocurrency wallets to their accounts and show off their NFTs. Meta also announced NFT support

It’s not just higher mortgage payments: Increases to the target range for the federal funds rate by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) could mean the U.S. will pay as much as $1 trillion more this decade on interest payments for the national debt, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. With inflation at its

Health care can be one of the biggest expenses a person faces in retirement. A 65-year-old couple who retired in 2021 can expect to spend $300,000 on health care and medical expenses throughout retirement, according to the annual Fidelity Investments Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate. This sum doesn’t include the additional annual cost of long-term

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 27, 2020, included new funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which expired Aug. 8, 2020. The PPP was a U.S. loan program established to help small businesses affected by the economic slowdown associated with the COVID pandemic to pay

Fiat vs. Representative Money: An Overview Fiat money is physical money—both paper money and coins—while representative money is a form of currency that represents the intent to pay, such as a check. Both fiat and representative money are backed by something. Without any backing, they would be completely worthless. Fiat money is backed by a