DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Stocks surged to open Thursday trading in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it was lowering interest rates by half a percentage point. The Fed’s cut was widely expected, but came in larger than many analysts were forecasting. “The continued decline in mortgage rates is giving the mortgage market a much-needed boost,” Bob Broeksmit, the president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said in a statement. At the same time, a growing set of indicators suggest economic growth may have begun heading in the wrong direction. “The Fed has signaled a high sensitivity to labor-market weakness,” Nomura Holdings financial group said in a note to clients Thursday.

Persons: Stocks, Jay Powell, ” Powell, It’s, “, Bob Broeksmit, ”, Powell Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Fed, Mortgage Bankers Association, ” Nomura Holdings, Wall Street, Bank of America Locations: U.S

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce Wednesday its first interest rate cut since 2020. While layoffs remain low, hiring has virtually ground to a halt, especially in some white-collar professions, making the job search process unusually difficult for many. That would entail a cut of at least 0.5% at some point by the time the Fed announces its interest rate in January. The Fed believes Wednesday's anticipated cut, and ones likely coming over the next several months, should put a floor under further economic deterioration. "Layoffs remain low, job openings remain high, GDP is growing at a healthy pace, and there have not been any major negative shocks," David Mericle, Goldman Sachs' chief U.S. economist, said in a note to clients.

Persons: Jay Bryson, Wednesday's, David Mericle, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Federal, Bank of America, Fed, NBC News, Citi Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo

But a series of data points showing worsening economic conditions has made some analysts believe a 0.5% cut is more likely — and perhaps even necessary. “We do not seek or welcome further cooling in labor market conditions,” Fed Chair Jay Powell said in a speech last month. “A (0.5%) cut is usually done in emergencies,” like the Covid-19 pandemic, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s financial group. Mortgage interest rates have hit their lowest level since February 2023, while auto loan rates are also falling. A 0.5% cut would more directly affect rates tied to the fed funds rate, including credit cards, home equity lines of credit and small-business loans.

Persons: Steve Liesman, Jay Powell, Bill Dudley, ” Dudley, Preston Mui, Mui, ”, “, Mark Zandi, Greg McBride, ” McBride Organizations: Federal, CNBC, Wall, Minneapolis Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Bloomberg News, Fed, Bankrate Locations: Minneapolis, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, America

Amazon is requiring its workers to return to the office full time. He noted that the company's three-day-a-week policy, instituted in 2023, had only reinforced the view that a full return was necessary. Amazon joins a growing list of major U.S. firms returning to a five-days-a-week office policy, including Boeing, JP Morgan Chase and UPS. However, according to data from FlexIndex, a firm that tracks company office policies, a majority of U.S. firms still offer hybrid arrangements. "As we have grown our teams as quickly and substantially as we have the last many years, we have understandably added a lot of managers," Jassy said.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Jassy, JP Morgan Chase, it’s, ” Jassy, It’s Organizations: Amazon, Boeing, UPS Locations: FlexIndex, U.S

In fact, the Biden administration recently imposed its own set of tariffs, while extending ones first levied during the Trump administration. Take the tariffs the Trump Administration imposed on washing machines in 2018. The washing machine tariffs were part of a broad new tariff regime Trump imposed in an effort to protect American workers from anti-competitive Chinese trade practices. It resulted in what is generally viewed as a “trade war” involving retaliatory tariffs imposed on American goods. The White House gave a rationale similar to the Trump administration when it announced its tariffs.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Trump, ” Harris, Biden, Harris, —, There’s, ”, ” Biden, Douglas Irwin, ” Irwin, ” Sen, Sherrod Brown, Sen, Tom Cotton, Nick Iacovella, “, ” Iacovella, Davis Organizations: GOP, Democratic, Tax, Trump, Coalition for, Prosperous, White, American Enterprise Institute, Federal, “ Ohio steelworkers, “ Workers, Administration, U.S . Steel, Harvard University, University of California Locations: China, Prosperous America, U.S, Mexico, Ohio , New York, Ohio

☆ Here's what the Boeing strike might mean for flyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Boeing workers went on strike Friday, the latest disturbance in what has proven a devastating year for the American aircraft manufacturer. Southwest had sharply brought down its delivery target for Boeing aircraft earlier this year. A United spokesperson said the carrier was working with Boeing to understand what the impact to the airline's delivery schedule might be. "There will probably be very little direct impact on consumers as a result of the Boeing strike," Harteveldt told NBC News. The previous Boeing machinists strike, in 2008, lasted nearly two months; however, in a note to clients, Bank of America analyst Ronald Epstein said the latest one could prove as short as a week.

Persons: Jon Holden, Henry Harteveldt, Harteveldt, Ronald Epstein, Boeing's Organizations: Aerospace Machinists, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, Southwest, United, Atmosphere Research, NBC, Bank of America, FAA, Dow Locations: Seattle , Washington, U.S, Southwest, United, Renton , Washington

Social Security recipients can expect next year's annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be the lowest since 2021, following cooler inflation readings in July and August. The Social Security Administration is expected to announce the official cost-of-living adjustment for 2025 on Oct. 10. Much of the political debate about Social Security remains focused on reforming — and ultimately paring back — the entire program. But earlier this year, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania introduced the Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act, designed to increase Social Security benefits at a rate "that actually reflects the costs seniors face." "The Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act would help seniors contend with rising costs and ensure that Social Security remains a lifeline for all who need it.”

Persons: ” Mary Johnson, Johnson, Democratic Sen, Bob Casey of, ” Casey, ” Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Social, Senior Citizens League, Social Security, Medicare, Trustees, Social Security Administration, League, Democratic, Seniors, Bureau of Labor Statistics, , Social Security, Security Locations: Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

The pace of inflation likely moderated again in August — further relief for beleaguered consumers still smarting from pandemic-era price shocks. Though price growth has largely returned to the Federal Reserve's official 2% target, the sting of rapid price increases over the past four years lingers for many consumers. The latest inflation report is likely to cement a 0.25% cut in the Federal Reserve's key interest rate, currently at about 5.3%, later this month. But experts say it will take some time for consumers to feel the impact of the lower interest rate — and the relatively small size of the cut means borrowing costs will still be somewhat elevated. While the Fed is now widely expected to cut interest rates, a cut of just 0.25% may not be enough to stave off that scenario.

Persons: —, There's, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Zillow, Paul, ” Marina Walsh, ” Walsh, Torsten Slok, Slok, Sophia Kearney, Jerome Powell's, Kearney, Lederman Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve's, Democratic, Labor Statistics, Princeton, “, Mortgage Bankers Association, Apollo Global Management, FHN, NBC News, Fed Locations: U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, St, Las Vegas, Phoenix

The rock group The White Stripes have filed suit against GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's campaign for its use of the band's megahit "Seven Nation Army" in a since-deleted campaign video. White Stripes drummer Meg White is also listed as a plaintiff in the suit, which charges Trump and the campaign with "flagrant misappropriation." The duo seek unspecified monetary damages and an injunction preventing Trump from using their songs. A Trump campaign spokesperson, as well as a legal representative for the former president, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jack White had foreshadowed the suit in an Instagram post a week ago after a Trump campaign staffer posted the video to social media Aug. 29, writing on Instagram: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Jack White, Woody Guthrie, Meg White, Trump, “, ”, Abba, Isaac Hayes, Eddy Grant, Neil Young, Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Seven Nation Army ” Organizations: Stripes, GOP, Army, Court, Trump, ”, Seven Nation Army, soccer team Locations: New York

Apple said Monday that a version of its latest AirPods earbuds will come with built-in hearing aids, which it says would help more than 1 billion people globally. The feature on the AirPods Pro, which Apple describes as equivalent to an over-the-counter hearing aid, is designed for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. "This helps them better engage in conversation, and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them," Apple said. AppleThe AirPods Pro will use the personalized hearing profile to inform how its hearing aid feature adjusts sounds in real time, including phone calls, music and other types of media. Apple noted that according to the World Health Organization, about 1.5 billion people around the world live with hearing loss.

Persons: Apple, ” Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s Organizations: Apple, World Health Organization, AirPods, Apple Watch, U.S . Food, Drug Administration

Chase Bank said it was reviewing incidents of individuals who may have participated in an online check fraud "glitch" trend and referring them to law enforcement authorities. In fact, the meme was prompting users to commit check fraud by requesting cash they didn't have after depositing a phony check for the amount they were seeking. Criminal statutes on the severity of punishment for instances of check fraud vary by state. In California, misdemeanor check fraud charges can carry a one-year prison term plus financial penalties. In New York, misdemeanor check fraud can entail up to three months in jail and a fine.

Organizations: Chase Bank, Chase, Wall Street, NBC Locations: TikTok, In California, New York

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the share of Americans who were absent from work because of child care difficulties matched the all-time record for August. At the same time, employment in child care services has not been nearly enough to match the demand, according to Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, who highlighted the statistic in a note following Friday’s job report. The issue largely stems from the havoc created by the pandemic, which prompted many child care facilities to shut down, Pollak said. Consumer payments for child care are up at least 32% since 2019, a recent Bank of America study found. Child care advocates say that almost 10% of the state’s day care sites or home-based programs have shuttered since the pandemic.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Kamala Harris, Julia Pollak, Natalia Lebedinskaia, ” Pollak, Pollak, “, ”, Trump, Ohio, Charlie Kirk, he’d, Harris, ” Vance, Tim Walz, Hannah Anderson, Kirk, Vance “, ” Anderson Organizations: Bureau of Labor Statistics, GOP, Child Care, NBC News, of America, BLS, Economic, of New, Minnesota Gov, Economic Policy Institute Locations: Ohio, of New York, United States, Georgia

ET, the X account belonging to Trump's daughter-in-law, Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump appeared to announce that the digital currency project, dubbed World Liberty Financial, had been launched. One minute later, Donald Trump's youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump's X account also posted an endorsement and a website link. All of which makes it nearly impossible for the public to trace the identity of the person behind the fake World Liberty Financial sites. A few minutes after Lara Trump's posts, her husband, Donald Trump's son Eric Trump, appeared to use his own X account to write "This is a scam!!" All of these posts, including Eric Trump's warning, have since been deleted.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump's, Lara Trump, Donald Trump's, Tiffany Trump's, Trump, Njalla Okta, Lara Trump's, Eric Trump, Eric Trump's Organizations: Republican, Trump, Republican National Committee, Liberty Financial, Liberty Locations: Cambria, Johnstown , Pennsylvania, U.S, Caribbean, St, Kitts, Nevis

Researchers have begun measuring the impact of legalized sports gambling on American households, and the initial results paint a worrisome picture about how its expansion has affected bettors’ finances. In separate papers released this month, academics have found that households in states where gambling was legalized saw significantly reduced savings, as well as lower investments in assets like stocks that are generally considered more financially sound. Meanwhile, states that legalized sports betting saw their residents’ aggregate credit scores decrease, while bankruptcies increased. North Carolina became the most recent state to offer online sports betting earlier this year. Earlier this year, the major sports betting platforms formed the Responsible Online Gaming Association to address problem gambling.

Persons: ”, Scott Baker, Charles Schwab, Baker, “ It’s, ” Baker, “ Rather, Brett Hollenbeck, Nicholas Scutari, Adam Candee, Candee, ” Candee Organizations: Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, of Columbia, Trade, Vanguard, Fidelity, UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Auto, New York, Gaming Commission, Addiction Services, Legal, Online, Association Locations: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, California, Texas, U.S

☆ Sports gambling takes a toll on Americans’ checkbooks, research shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Researchers have begun measuring the impact of legalized sports gambling on American households, and the initial results paint a worrisome picture about how its expansion has affected bettors' finances. Meanwhile, states that legalized sports betting saw their residents' aggregate credit scores decrease, while bankruptcies increased. North Carolina became the most recent state to offer online sports betting earlier this year. Earlier this year, the major sports betting platforms formed the Responsible Online Gaming Association to address problem gambling. Yet there is likely a limit to how much the platforms will seek to restrict their own activities.

Persons: Scott Baker, Charles Schwab, Baker, It's, Brett Hollenbeck, Nicholas Scutari, Adam Candee, Candee Organizations: Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, of Columbia, Trade, Vanguard, Fidelity, UCLA's Anderson School of Management, Auto, New York, Gaming Commission, Addiction Services, Legal, Online, Association Locations: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, California, Texas, U.S

Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell said Friday he expects the central bank will cut its key interest rate in the near future in response to slower economic growth and cooling inflation. "The labor market is no longer overheated, and conditions are now less tight than those that prevailed before the pandemic. Starting in the spring of 2022, the Fed raised interest rates to a level not seen in nearly two decades as it worked to combat soaring inflation. "Make no mistake, if the labor market shows signs of further cooling, the Fed will cut with conviction," Shah wrote. Lower interest rates will provide some relief to consumer borrowers, but it will not be immediate, according to Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

Persons: Jay Powell, Powell, ” Powell, “, Seema Shah, —, Shah, Greg McBride, McBride Organizations: ”, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, midmorning, Market Committee, Management Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, U.S

Economists like to say the cure for high prices is high prices. In other words, consumers eventually start to hold back on spending when they are faced with increasing costs. On Monday, the New York Federal Reserve reported that consumers' three-year inflation outlook hit a record low. Many economists credit the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates starting in the spring of 2022 with helping to curb the upswing. It is that last factor that the Federal Reserve is keenly focused on.

Persons: “, Andrew Jassy, Wells Fargo, Mark Hamrick, ” Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve's, New York Federal Reserve, Federal, Fed, BLS, Gallup, Federal Reserve Locations: U.S, York

Ford and Mazda have issued do-not-drive warnings covering more than 457,000 vehicles that contain recalled Takata air bags. NHTSA urges owners of the vehicles to not drive them until a repair is completed and the defective air bag is replaced. Ford customers should check the automaker's recalls website to see if their vehicle is affected. Mazda customers can visit the company's recalls website for more information. To date, NHTSA says 27 people in the U.S. have been killed by a defective Takata air bag that exploded, while at least 400 people in the U.S. reportedly have been injured by them.

Organizations: Ford, Mazda, NHTSA Locations: Lincoln, U.S

Starbucks is parting ways with its CEO and bringing in the head of Chipotle to lead the coffeeshop chain, as it seeks to revive flagging sales and appease outside investors. Starbucks announced Tuesday that Brian Niccol, who has led the Mexican-style chain since 2018, will take over the coffee giant starting next month. Laxman Narasimhan, who'd been with Starbucks for less than two years, is exiting the company. But in its release announcing the change, Starbucks said Niccol had "transformed" Chipotle. Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri will step in as interim chief executive until Sept. 9, when Niccol officially takes over the top job.

Persons: Brian Niccol, Laxman Narasimhan, who'd, who’d, Chipotle, Niccol, Rachel Ruggeri, Scott Boatwright, Jack Hartung Organizations: Starbucks Locations: Mexican, U.S, China

Austin Urlaub, 23, Michigan Finishing his master's in social work amid booming demand from people seeking addiction treatment. Lives at home and earned a free ride to college, so his financial situation is stable. But the Michigan native is still the first in his family to go directly into social work. “But now, social workers are becoming in demand; every workplace now pretty much requires one. Living situation: Urlaub is living at home with his parents while he completes his master's.

Persons: Austin Urlaub, Urlaub, ‘, you’re, ’ ”, It’s, I’m, He’s, ”, “ It’s, “, it’s, there’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ” Urlaub, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, it’ll, We’ve, ’ Organizations: NBC, Michigan, GOP, CNN Locations: Michigan, ”, Detroit

Shares in Trump Media and Technology Group were down about 7% on Monday afternoon after the company reported scant revenues and a net loss in its first full quarter as a public company. Meanwhile, Donald Trump returned to X early Monday in advance of his interview with X owner Elon Musk later in the day, raising some doubt about whether Trump would continue favoring Truth Social, the social media platform owned by Trump Media. Shares in Trump Media have been subject to significant volatility since it began trading in late March thanks in part to competing bets from Wall Street traders about how much the stock would fall. With rare exceptions, Trump has almost exclusively posted to Truth Social since the platform came into being in February 2022. They’re coming after you.”In its quarterly report, released late Friday, Trump Media addressed the launch of its streaming service, Truth+, this month.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Trump, “, Mr, Musk, “ They’re, They’re, Devin Nunes Organizations: Trump Media, Technology Group, X, Trump, Wall, Republican, Trump Media's, Social, Big Tech Locations: California

Stock futures pointed to a mild market bounceback following a significant sell-off Monday that left major indexes with their worst day in nearly two years. ET Tuesday, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures, S&P 500 futures, and and Nasdaq futures were each up about 0.4%. The recovery comes as Japan's Nikkei stock index, which saw its worst day in a generation Monday, rallied for its best day since 2008, surging 10.2%Still, Tuesday's gains are unlikely to make up for the losses stocks suffered Monday. Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, said in a note Tuesday that the economy remains in decent shape. "If the economy were crashing, default rates would be spiking higher, and that is not what the data shows.” he wrote.

Persons: Dow, Goldman Sachs, Torsten Slok, ” Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Nikkei, Federal, Citibank, Federal Reserve, Citi, Fed, Apollo Global Management Locations: U.S

The day's rout was sparked by a massive sell-off in Japanese stocks. The Nikkei fell 12.4%, its worst day since the 1987 "Black Monday" crash rattled investors around the world. Spencer Platt / Getty ImagesThe Japanese drawdown, in turn, was partly in response to the worse-than-expected jobs report published Friday that showed U.S. unemployment rising to 4.3% and just 114,000 jobs added in July. As soon as that report was published, stocks started erasing some of their earlier losses, while bond purchases, which had surged as investors sought safe-haven assets, faded. It’s a much easier decision to say I want to take my chips and go home here.”

Persons: Stocks, Spencer Platt, Apple, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, ”, Michael Farr, Farr Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Dow, Nikkei, New York Stock Exchange, Getty, Federal, Institute for Supply Management, Bank of Japan, U.S . Federal Reserve, Nvidia, Intel, Microsoft, Buffett, Miller & Washington Locations: New York City, U.S, Berkshire

Stocks declined heavily in Friday trading following a weaker-than-expected jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 810 points, or 2.3%. The U.S. added just 114,000 jobs in July, well below the 185,000 expected and down significantly from 206,000 in June. Amazon also saw a large decline, sliding 12.5% after missing quarterly financial estimates and issuing a disappointing forecast. A day earlier, stocks saw heavy declines as they responded to other weaker-than-expected data, including a disappointing manufacturing output report and surprisingly high initial jobless claims.

Persons: Stocks Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, U.S . Commerce Department, Intel Locations: U.S

But you're going to struggle if you're looking for a new one. "Even a few months ago, the labor market seemed fine, the trajectory looked stable," said Guy Berger, director of economic research at the Burning Glass Institute, a think tank. The Fed therefore believes it can put a floor underneath the labor market that prevents it from deteriorating further, Berger said. "What we need to see is strong private-sector labor market growth, and outside of health care, what we've seen instead is a very, very rapid deceleration that has shown no signs yet of stabilizing," Pollak said. Pollak also said leisure and hospitality jobs — a key entry point into the labor market — have actually declined outright in recent months, putting further pressure on workers to secure employment.

Persons: Guy Berger, Berger, Jerome Powell, Bill Dudley, Julia Pollak, Pollak, we've Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Glass, Federal, Fed, New York Federal, Bloomberg Locations: U.S, haves

Search resuls for: "wile"

25 mentions found