Business

The cryptocurrency market reached a significant milestone this week with the introduction of spot ether ETFs. Franklin Templeton is one of nine firms whose spot ether ETF recently received approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Franklin Ethereum ETF (EZET) has fallen about 10% since its launch, attributed to a broader sell-off in the cryptocurrency market. David Mann, head of ETF products and capital markets at Franklin Templeton, expressed optimism about the future of these ETFs despite the initial setbacks. Speaking on CNBC’s “ETF Edge” on Tuesday, Mann said, “We believe they will succeed. They are unlikely to…

Today's housing market is significantly different from that of just a few years ago. High mortgage rates and rising home prices have reduced consumer purchasing power, while limited housing supply maintains fierce competition. As a result, housing affordability has declined significantly since the pandemic began. Here are six charts that illustrate the current state of the real estate market and its implications: 1. Mortgage rates:The 30-year mortgage rate, a popular choice among homebuyers, is key to understanding the market. This rate determines the cost of borrowing to buy a home. The rate has recently hovered around 7%, down from a…

DETROIT — General Motors has unveiled the latest version of its iconic sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, set to become the most powerful model in the brand’s history. The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 will feature a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces over 1,000 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. This significant increase in power positions the ZR1 among the elite supercars, typically priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. “This car accelerates like a freight train,” noted Tadge Juechter, Corvette’s executive chief engineer since 2006, at a recent media event. “We expect this to be the fastest car…

The UK government is set to introduce new regulations for the buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector, which includes companies such as Klarna and Afterpay, after several delays. A Treasury Department representative confirmed that updated regulatory plans will be revealed soon, following comments made by Tulip Siddiq, the newly appointed economic secretary of the Treasury. Siddiq stressed the importance of these regulations in protecting consumers and providing certainty to the industry. The government’s push for regulation follows the findings of a 2021 review by former Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief Christopher Woolard, which found that more than 10% of BNPL…

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against the NBA to secure the rights to broadcast a package of live games, challenging the league’s decision to award those rights to Amazon. “Due to the NBA’s unjustified rejection of our game against a third-party offer, we have initiated legal proceedings to enforce our rights,” said TNT Sports, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. “We firmly believe this is not only our contractual right, but also the best service for fans who prefer our flexible and widely accessible platforms, including TNT and Max.” The media company seeks to block the NBA from…

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return to the Marvel Universe in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” a film set to make history this weekend as it debuts with an R rating in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The highly anticipated third installment starring Reynolds’ wisecracking antihero is expected to gross between $160 million and $180 million domestically during its opening weekend. It’s already the highest-grossing film of 2024 in advance, according to Fandango, and is on track to break several records, including the biggest domestic opening of the year and the biggest debut ever for an R-rated film. Disney and Pixar’s “Inside…

The U.S. economy posted robust growth in the second quarter, driven by strong consumer and government spending, along with a significant increase in inventories, according to an initial estimate from the Commerce Department released Thursday. From April to June, real gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the value of all goods and services produced, grew at an annualized rate of 2.8% after adjusting for seasonality and inflation. That beat the 2.1% growth forecast by economists polled by Dow Jones and improved from the 1.4% growth in the first quarter. The first of three estimates highlighted the significant contributions of consumer…

Here are some stocks that saw significant moves in after-hours trading: Dexcom Dexcom shares jumped after their quarterly earnings report beat Wall Street expectations. The company, known for its continuous glucose monitoring systems, reported stronger-than-expected revenue growth, fueling investor optimism and sending the stock up 7%. Lane Online learning platform Coursera saw its shares rise 5% after reporting better-than-expected revenue and user growth. The company cited increased enrollment and partnerships with educational institutions as key factors contributing to its positive performance. Deckers outdoors Deckers Outdoor, the parent company of popular brands like UGG and Teva, has seen its stock price…

NEW YORK — AMC Entertainment on Wednesday warned investors of significant declines in key second-quarter financial metrics that led to a more than 7% drop in its stock price. The company attributed the decline to the actors' and screenwriters' strikes of the previous year, which led to fewer film releases and the resulting "weakness" in the quarter ended June 30. Preliminary results show AMC’s revenue fell more than 23% to $1.03 billion. The company also expects to report a net loss of $32.8 million, a stark contrast to the $8.6 million profit it reported in the second quarter of 2023.…

Wall Street’s most reliable recession indicator started signaling trouble in 2022 and hasn’t stopped since, but so far it has proven wrong every time. The yield on 10-year Treasuries has been lower than that of many shorter-term bonds, a scenario known as an inverted yield curve, which has historically preceded nearly every recession since the 1950s. Traditionally, an inverted yield curve suggests a recession within a year or two. However, not only has a recession not occurred, but U.S. economic growth remains stable. This has led many on Wall Street to wonder why this once-reliable indicator has proven wrong this…