Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell did Friday what everyone expected, acknowledging in a speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that the time to cut interest rates from their two-decade high is now. “The time has come for policy to adjust,” Powell said. “The direction of travel is clear, and the timing and pace of rate cuts will depend on incoming data,…
Artificial intelligence has grabbed headlines recently, but a different sort of sector of the U.S. economy is in full growth mode: franchising. Perhaps unsurprisingly, investors are turning to franchising as a stock market alternative. Franchise investors are attracted to brand-name businesses with a proven business model, which allows them to stack cash more quickly. Whether you become an actual owner…
After a long slump, renewable energy stocks have begun to stage a comeback as inflation is starting to ease and interest rates are poised for a Federal Reserve cut in September. It’s important to look at the big picture when considering renewable energy stocks. Undeniably, the renewable energy sector has vast potential, and it’s expected to keep growing. Overall, solar and wind power generation…
The stock market tacked on 26% across all of last year, and as the S&P 500 has tacked on 13.2% from January through late July, it appears Wall Street could rival those gains again in 2024. Thanks to this sustained optimism, “risk-on” stocks have been at the top of the heap in the current bull market environment. These investments tend…
Investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence stocks has propelled markets to new all-time highs in 2024. Unfortunately, the spectacular surge in a handful of leading AI technology stocks has also raised concerns among skeptics that the market could be overheating. AI technology could be one of the most transformative advances in economic history. While its true impact is only beginning to make a…
The long climb back to relevance continues for initial public offerings in the U.S. in 2024, as investors warm up to new publicly traded companies and IPOs are able to back that sentiment up with sturdier returns. So, where do IPOs go from here in the second half of 2024? Sustained high borrowing costs and suspense over a chaotic U.S.…
For a moment on June 18, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 indexes had a new top holding: Nvidia Corp. (ticker: NVDA). Before paring back some gains later in the week, shares of Nvidia briefly surpassed $135 per share, giving the company a market capitalization of more than $3.3 trillion. That being said, retail investors may not find it prudent to…
ChatGPT and its creator, OpenAI, triggered the modern conversation around artificial intelligence. The AI large language model fascinated its users by providing relevant information based on text prompts. ChatGPT offers instant answers instead of requiring users to scan multiple pages on a search engine. Here are six stocks that either stand to benefit substantially from ChatGPT’s growth and the incorporation…
The S&P 500’s 2024 rally resumed in May as strong first-quarter earnings numbers overshadowed fears over slowing economic growth and potential stagflation. After a strong 2023 performance, the S&P 500 is up more than 10% year to date, and investors are hoping the inflation outlook will improve further in coming months. Top 2024 stock market performers include health care stocks with unique…
American retirees are gingerly making their way through their golden years, treading forward as all sorts of economic minefields surround them. Maybe that’s why 63% of Americans are more worried about running out of cash in retirement than dying, according to a new Allianz Life study. That’s where being disciplined and creative about low-risk but potentially high-return investments can help, even…