Business Headlines
US stocks hold near records on hopes of an agreement with Iran
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks meandered to a mixed finish on Wall Street Wednesday and remained close to their records, while oil prices held steady. The uncertain trading on Wall Street followed two days of big gains that gave the week and August a strong start. Several big technology companies slumped, though, ultimately weighing down the market. The S&P 500 fell 12.97 points, or 0.2%, to close at 7,723.55. The index spent most of the day higher after surging to a record on Tuesday. “The coiled spring investors have been waiting for has finally released, with the S&P 500 Index surging to record highs for the first time in two months,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, in ... Read More
Stocks waver on Wall Street and hover around records as oil prices hold steady
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday and hovered around their records set a day earlier, while oil prices held steady. The S&P 500 climbed 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 455 points, or 0.8%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%. The S&P 500 and the Dow both set records on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq is less than 2% from its record. Every major index had been surging this week, giving August a strong start. “The coiled spring investors have been waiting for has finally released, with the S&P 500 Index surging to record highs for the first time in two months,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist ... Read More
Oil prices and world shares gain after Wall Street hits fresh records on strong corporate earnings
[caption id="attachment_1530791" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Currency traders pass by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)[/caption]BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Wednesday after the U.S. stock market rallied to records, helped by strong corporate earnings reports and hopes for a deal setting the stage for talks that might eventually lead to an end to the war in Iran. Oil prices resumed their ascent, with Brent crude gaining more than 1%. In early European trading, Germany's DAX rose 0.3% to 26,268.90, while the CAC 40 in Paris edged less than 0.1% higher. Britain's ... Read More
US stocks hit records as profits keep piling up for Palantir and others, while oil prices ease
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rallied to records on Tuesday as profits kept piling up for companies and as oil prices eased. The S&P 500 shot up 1.8%, and the main measure of Wall Street’s health topped its prior all-time high set a couple months ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 907 points, or 1.7%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.6%. Despite worries about high inflation, the war in Iran, frustration with the economy and a possible bubble in stock prices because of the boom in artificial-intelligence technology, Wall Street hit its latest apex and rewarded investors who remained patient because profits keep soaring for companies. Stock prices ... Read More
Musk likely to face tough questions during SpaceX’s first earnings call as a public company
[caption id="attachment_1530580" align="alignnone" width="1024"] SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lifts off for a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)[/caption]NEW YORK (AP) — Investors in Elon Musk's space company get a chance to question him Tuesday after SpaceX issues its first quarterly earnings since going public. SpaceX shares are down by half from their June peak as investors worry Musk may have oversold them on its future prospects. They're also bracing for volatile trading as some company insiders get the opportunity to sell shares after the expiration of what's known as a lockup provision later in the week. Part visionary engineer, part stock salesman, Musk is likely to be asked about when he expects to finish ... Read More
Oil prices gain and Asian shares are mixed after a rally on Wall Street
[caption id="attachment_1530574" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Currency traders work at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)[/caption]TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday following a rally on Wall Street that was helped by easing oil prices. Regional investors were still weighing the impact from last week's joint U.S.-Japan currency intervention, analysts said. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to finish at 63,957.53, as the U.S. dollar rose to 157.70 Japanese yen from 157.18 yen. The euro cost $1.1515, up from $1.1514. The dollar was trading at 160-yen levels before regulators stepped in to boost the yen's value after it fell to nearly 40-year lows. Some analysts ... Read More
Microsoft leads a rally on Wall Street, while worries about inflation remain in the bond market
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rebounding Thursday after Microsoft leaped on hopes that its big spending on AI is translating into profits, while computer-chip companies clawed back some of their sharp recent losses. The S&P 500 rallied 1.3% and recovered two-thirds of its drop from the prior day, which was its worst in seven weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 450 points, or 0.9% as of 12:50 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite, which is full of artificial-intelligence stocks, jumped 2.3% a day after it fell 9.8% below its record set last month. Microsoft led the way and leaped 16.3% after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Growth was strong for ... Read More
Brent oil tops $100 per barrel, as tumbles for Tesla and Alphabet yank Wall Street lower
NEW YORK (AP) — Brent oil shot to its highest price since May on Thursday as increased fighting in the Middle East threatens to slow the global flow of crude. At the same time, sharp drops for two of Wall Street’s most influential companies, Alphabet and Tesla, yanked the U.S. stock market lower. The S&P 500 sank 1.4% and is heading toward its first back-to-back weekly loss since March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 546 points, or 1%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 2.6% lower. Stocks fell under the pressure of rising oil prices, which raise costs for businesses and erode their customers’ ability to spend. The price for a barrel of ... Read More
Wall Street drifts as AI stocks hold steadier after last week’s losses
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted to a quiet finish Monday after stocks of chipmakers and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom trimmed some of their recent losses. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2%, coming off its first losing week in the last three and just its third since the end of March. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 307 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite was basically flat after slipping by less than 0.1%. Nvidia added 0.2% and held firmer following its drop on Friday, when it was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Sandisk climbed 2.7% after tumbling 29% last week. Advanced Micro Devices rose 1.6% after announcing an expanded partnership where Microsoft will use its ... Read More
AI stocks keep falling, while oil prices keep climbing
NEW YORK (AP) — More swings for computer chip companies and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom are yanking stock markets lower Friday. Oil prices, meanwhile, continue to climb because of the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% after dropping as much as 1.4% in the morning. It’s on track for its first losing week in the last three and only its third since March, just a couple days after it climbed within 0.5% of its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 13 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, after veering between an early loss of 566 points and a modest gain. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.4%. Chip stocks once ... Read More
Warren Buffett explains why his kids, not the Gates Foundation, will now give away all his fortune
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett said Wednesday that his decision to cut the Gates Foundation out of his charitable giving is more about believing his three kids are ready to handle giving away his entire fortune than it is about Bill Gates ' ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Buffett told CNBC that Gates’ association with Epstein was “distasteful,” but the 95-year-old investor suggested that Gates’ actions weren’t much different from mistakes he himself had made over the years in hiring the wrong person or in choosing friends. “No one bats a thousand in the business of choosing people,” Buffett said on CNBC. Buffett read up on Gates’ ties to Epstein Buffett said he “read a great ... Read More
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