SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate decreased over-the-year in all fourteen Illinois metropolitan areas in January for the tenth consecutive month according to preliminary data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Jobs were up in twelve metro areas, and were unchanged in one, and down in another.
VTB Bank is Russia’s second largest lender and controlled by the Russian government.
WASHINGTON – The United States took significant and unprecedented action to respond to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine by imposing severe economic costs that will have both immediate and long-term effects on the Russian economy and financial system. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today imposed expansive economic measures, in partnership with allies and partners, that target the core infrastructure of the Russian financial system — including all of Russia’s largest financial institutions and the ability of state-owned and private entities to raise capital — and further bars Russia from the global financial system. The actions also target nearly 80 percent of all banking assets in Russia and will have a deep and long-lasting effect on the Russian economy and financial system.
The phrase “starving artist” has become a cliché because it’s often true. Indeed, it can take a long time before an independent artist starts earning enough from their music to make a living. Musicians often find themselves in the proverbial “catch-22” of having to take a regular job to fund their music but then not having enough time or energy left at the end of the day to pursue their musical endeavors. The good news is, there is a way! There are music funding “secrets” any artist can use to start earning passive income to fund their music projects.
Shares of Greenwich Lifesciences (GLSI) continued their wild ride Thursday on enthusiasm for the tiny biotech company's breast cancer treatment. In a midstage study, 100% of patients were still alive at a median of five years after receiving Greenwich's drug, GP2. Five years is considered the gold standard in follow-up time period for recurrence in breast cancer patients. The biotech company administered GP2 after patients underwent surgery and then received Roche's breast cancer treatment, Herceptin. Greenwich is now preparing to begin a Phase 3 study in a similar group of patients in 2021.
The wind industry has potential for significant growth, with the Global Wind Energy Council forecasting that offshore wind sources will increase dramatically in the coming decades. Wind stocks, represented by the First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN), have dramatically outperformed the broader market and FAN has provided a total return of 53.0% over the past 12 months.
Interest rates were already near historic lows before the COVID-19 pandemic and look like remaining that way for the foreseeable future as the Federal Reserve encourages more borrowing to stimulate the economy. As an alternative to keeping cash squirreled away in a low-interest saving account or government bond, investors can chase a higher return on their money by purchasing high paying dividend stocks. Let’s take a closer look at two stocks in the S&P 500 that each offer a dividend of over 7%. Currently, the average stock in the index yields 1.8%.
What should you do with the 401(k) plan you've faithfully contributed to for years? Conventional wisdom says to roll it over into an individual retirement account (IRA), and in many cases, that is the best course of action. But there are times when a rollover is not your best option. Let's take a look at a few of those situations and the rationale for keeping your 401(k).
Pfizer stock jumped Wednesday after the company said its BioNTech (BNTX)-partnered coronavirus vaccine was 95% effective in Phase 3 testing. The companies also said they've gathered enough safety data to ask the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency authorization. Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech plan to do so "within days." In premarket trading on the stock market today, Pfizer stock popped 2.8% near 37. BioNTech shares surged 5.7% near 91.90.
Mutual fund legend Bill Miller told CNBC Friday that the risks of bitcoin going to zero are “lower than they’ve ever been before” and predicted more institutional investment in the cryptocurrency. “The bitcoin story is very easy, it’s supply and demand,” Miller said. “Bitcoin’s supply is growing around 2.5% a year and the demand is growing faster than that.” On Friday, Miller warned of inflation “coming back” with the Federal Reserve “gunning the money supply” and future fiscal relief coming from Congress.
2020 has been rough for Exxon Mobil. The pandemic and the resultant “stay at home economy,” has decimated demand for crude oil which has meant big losses for XOM stock. Exxon shares are at near multi-decade lows and could head even lower from here, suggesting a continued reversal of fortune for this once-venerable blue-chip stock.
Insider buying can be an encouraging signal for potential investors when markets face uncertainty. Conventional wisdom says that insiders and 10% shareholders really only buy shares of a company for one reason -- they believe the stock price will rise and they want to profit from it. So insider buying can be an encouraging signal for potential investors, particularly when markets are near all-time highs. Though buy windows remain closed for many insiders during earnings-reporting season, plenty of others have continued to add shares despite market volatility and economic uncertainty. Here are some of the most noteworthy insider purchases reported in the past week.
If you’re working toward a savings goal, you have a lot of options for where you can put away your cash. Savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, cash management accounts and investment accounts are all possibilities.
Officials in California, home to Walt Disney Co's Disneyland, on Tuesday pushed the reopening of large theme parks months down the road, drawing outrage from the industry, which predicted the loss of thousands more jobs.