Exactly which way Washington’s latest political chaos cuts for investors depends on how closely you want to look. Zoom into the halls of Congress, and you’ll find an era of unprecedented partisanship. Pull back a bit, and there’s some room for optimism—just as long as you don’t go too far. …

I get it: we’re all frustrated with this sluggish stock rebound. It’s been almost two years since stocks last hit all-time highs, and the S&P 500 is still sitting some 11% below the peak! So let’s take a look at what’s behind this patience-testing market—and unpack a smart contrarian dividend…

The Federal Reserve Bank giveth and it taketh away. Thanks to the Fed’s interest-rate increases, it’s possible to earn a safe 5%-plus on your cash these days, but at the same time credit cards have gotten much more expensive. As of May, the most recent date for which data are…

Week in Review Asian equities had a mixed week, mirroring a downdraft on Wall Street, though Hong Kong managed a positive return. Mainland China markets were closed this week for the Golden Week holiday (Mid-Autumn Festival), which saw +86% more domestic trips taken compared to last year. On Thursday, developer…

Costco Wholesale just got a strong start to its first fiscal quarter. The company saw its same-store sales rise by 4.5% in September compared to a year earlier, accelerating from August’s 3.4% growth, Costco announced Wednesday. E-commerce sales rose by 3.7%. Higher gas prices helped drive up Costco’s (ticker: COST)…

These companies may offer good value based on Benjamin Graham’s criteria Summary Exxon Mobil, EOG, Diamondback Energy FANG , Coterra Energy and EQT EQT qualified for the screener. While the energy sector is up again this year after a blowout 2022, oil prices fell further on Friday on the back…

BNY Mellon’s Pershing X unit has lined up a significant customer for its new technology offering, a platform that brings together the various software applications investment advisors rely on to manage clients’ funds. Integrity Marketing Group, a large insurance provider with ambitions to move into the wealth management space, is…

Augmented reality is finally ready for the mass market. New AR AR devices are coming soon that will change the way we learn, play and see the world. A viral video leaked last week shows the amazing potential of AR to bridge the gap between our physical world and the…

Energy stocks fell hard on Wednesday as oil prices dropped more than they have in a year. The problem is that Americans are using less gasoline, probably a reaction to high prices. Average gas prices are now at $3.79 per gallon. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, fell 5.6%…

Synovus Financial has been named as a Top 10 dividend-paying financial stock, according to Dividend Channel, which published its most recent ”DividendRank” report. The report noted that among shares of financial companies, SNV displayed both attractive valuation metrics and strong profitability metrics. For example, the recent SNV share price of…