By Nathalie Voit The number of Americans who think now is a good time to buy a house has hit a record low, according to survey results from a recent Gallup poll published on May 4. Only 30% of participants rate the current housing market as favorable for buyers. In contrast, 69% of U.S. adults [...]
By Nathalie Voit High prices remain a top concern for small business owners, according to a Bank of America report released on May 3. 80% of small business owners cited inflation as a top economic concern, followed by commodities prices (75%) and the U.S. political environment (68%). 88% of employers noted inflation was currently impacting their business. [...]
By Nathalie Voit Consumers are shifting back to pre-pandemic spending habits this year, TD Bank found in its annual Consumer Spending Index. Credit card holders are at risk of overspending in 2022 as pent-up demand from the COVID-19 pandemic fuels excess spending on out-of-home activities. This year's survey found that spending at restaurants, retailers, and [...]
By Nathalie Voit The U.S. trade deficit hit an all-time high in March amid a record surge in imports, the Commerce Department said in a press release published on May 4. The goods and services deficit rose by 22.3% in February, or $20.0 billion, to $109.8 billion in March. March was the first time in [...]
By Nathalie Voit The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is getting more serious about cryptocurrency fraud. In a press release issued on May 3, the agency said it would expand the size of its special unit developed to counter crypto and digital asset fraud as the $1.7 trillion cryptocurrency market continues to evolve. The SEC's Crypto [...]
By Nathalie Voit Paramount Global, formerly known as ViacomCBS, said its streaming service Paramount+ added 6.8 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. The company saw subscriber growth balloon by more than 20% from the 32.8 million subscribers it had as of last quarter. As of March 31, Paramount+'s total subscriber count was nearly [...]
By Nathalie Voit U.S. natural gas futures jumped to their highest level in nearly 14 years on May 3 as markets reacted to a global fuel crunch driven by the war in Ukraine. Industry benchmark Henry Hub surged over 9% on Tuesday to hit a high of $8.169 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), its highest since [...]
By Nathalie Voit Home affordability is nearing its worst level on record as housing prices and interest rates continue their sharp upward trajectory, mortgage lending software and analytics provider Black Knight said in a press release on May 2. According to data from Black Knight, a whopping 95% of the 100 largest U.S. housing markets are now [...]
By Nathalie Voit Amazon workers will no longer be eligible for COVID-19 paid time off, the company told staff members on April 28 in a notice reviewed by CNBC. All U.S.-based frontline workers who contract the coronavirus will receive up to five days of excused, unpaid leave. A representative for Amazon told CNBC workers may rollover any [...]
By Nathalie Voit Apple’s self-service repair is now available, the Cupertino-based company said in a press release on April 27. U.S. customers can now purchase genuine Apple parts and tools and review hundreds of repair manuals for Apple products they wish to repair through the company’s Self Service Repair Store. Customers with experience in repairing electronic devices can access over [...]
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