Category: News

  • Nasdaq Hits Record High as Fed Plans Rate Cut – What You Need to Know

    Nasdaq Hits Record High as Fed Plans Rate Cut – What You Need to Know

    On Monday, the Nasdaq stock market reached a new record high, and the S&P 500 also saw some gains. Investors are looking closely at the latest economic data and are excited about the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates, which will be announced on Wednesday.

    Most investors believe a rate cut is very likely, with a 95.4% chance of a 0.25% drop. This means the Fed might lower rates to help support the economy. However, experts like Sam Stovall suggest that even with a cut, the Fed may still be cautious and might not plan many more cuts next year than some people expect.

    In terms of economic health, the S&P Global reported a drop in manufacturing activity, with the latest numbers showing a reading of 48.3. This is lower than economists predicted and signifies potential issues as higher tariffs could raise prices on imported materials next year.

    On the market front, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 110.58 points (0.25%), closing at 43,717.48. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 went up by 22.99 points (0.38%) to reach 6,074.08, and the Nasdaq climbed by 247.17 points (1.24%) to 20,173.89. The Nasdaq has now seen four weeks of gains, while the Dow has dropped for eight straight days.

    Prominent companies performed well, with Alphabet (Google’s parent company) rising by 3.6% and Tesla jumping by 6.1%. Tesla’s stock price target was recently raised to a record $515 by Wedbush Securities.

    As investors await the Fed’s decision, they will also pay attention to retail sales data coming out on Tuesday to see how strong consumer spending is.

    This year, the S&P 500 has grown more than 27% due to optimism around companies benefiting from artificial intelligence, the Fed’s expected rate cuts, a strong economy, and anticipated business-friendly policies from Donald Trump’s upcoming administration.

    Honeywell International’s stock rose by 3.7% after they revealed plans to consider separating their aerospace business. Among the stocks traded, more declined than advanced on the NYSE, while there were more advances than declines on the Nasdaq.

    Overall, the S&P 500 saw 14 new highs and 18 lows, with the Nasdaq recording 112 new highs and 193 new lows. The total volume of shares traded was 15.33 billion, compared to the average of 14.04 billion shares in the last 20 trading days.

  • Nifty and Sensex Drop: Why Volatility Is Here to Stay

    Nifty and Sensex Drop: Why Volatility Is Here to Stay

    On Monday, the Nifty and Sensex dropped by almost half a percent. This small dip was not surprising, as both indices had recently risen quite a bit. However, the overall situation in the market was better than it used to be during past drops. Many stocks were still doing well even when the main indices fell. Will the market stay shaky? The answer is yes. The last three months of the year often bring ups and downs in the market, making it a tricky time for investors

  • Trump May Pardon Mayor Eric Adams Facing Bribery Charges”

    Trump May Pardon Mayor Eric Adams Facing Bribery Charges”

    Donald Trump, who is about to become president again, said he might think about helping Mayor Eric Adams from New York City, who is in trouble for bribery charges. During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday, a reporter asked if Trump would support the former police officer. Trump simply replied that he would “look at” a pardon for Adams. This situation is developing, so stay tuned for more updates!

  • What If Season 3: New Episodes Daily from December 22!

    What If Season 3: New Episodes Daily from December 22!

    Disney Plus is getting ready to release Season 3 of “What If,” bringing fans new stories from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The first episode will air on December 22 at 9 PM ET.

    Release Date and Time:
    – The first episode starts on December 22 at 9 PM ET and 6 PM PT.
    – Fans in Canada can watch at 9 PM, and in Brazil, it will be at 10 PM.
    – Viewers in the UK and Portugal can watch on December 23 at 2 AM, in Spain and Central Europe at 3 AM, in India at 6:30 AM, in Australia at 11 AM, and in New Zealand at 1 PM.
    – People outside the US might need to stay up late or wake up early to enjoy the episodes.

    What to Expect in Season 3:
    This season has eight episodes, which is one less than the nine episodes from Seasons 1 and 2. The reason for this change hasn’t been explained. Unlike before, episodes will come out daily during the holiday season instead of weekly. Here’s the release schedule:

    – Episode 1: What If… The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers? – December 22
    – Episode 2: What If… Agatha Went to Hollywood? – December 23
    – Episode 3: What If… The Red Guardian Stopped The Winter Soldier? – December 24
    – Episode 4: What If… Howard The Duck Got Hitched? – December 25
    – Episode 5: What If… The Emergence Destroyed the Earth? – December 26
    – Episode 6: What If… 1872? – December 27
    – Episode 7: What If… The Watcher Disappeared? – December 28
    – Episode 8: What If… What If? – December 29

    FAQs:
    – When are new episodes available? They will come out daily from December 22 to 29, perfect for Christmas viewing!
    – How many episodes are there in Season 3? This season has eight episodes, one fewer than the previous two seasons.

  • 12 Indian Nationals Found Dead in Georgia: Investigation Underway

    12 Indian Nationals Found Dead in Georgia: Investigation Underway

    In a sad event in Gudauri, Georgia, twelve Indian employees of an Indian restaurant were found dead in their bedrooms. Authorities believe they may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. At first, there were no signs of hurt or violence on their bodies, as stated by Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

    Officials from the Indian embassy in Tbilisi confirmed that all twelve victims were Indian nationals. However, there was some confusion, as Georgia’s report said 11 victims were foreigners and one was a local citizen.

    The Indian embassy expressed deep sorrow over the loss and stated they are working with local authorities to support the families of the deceased. They also promised to offer all possible help.

    Early investigations suggest the poisoning might have happened due to a power generator that was turned on in a closed space near their rooms on Friday night. A forensic team is working to determine the exact cause of death.

    The Georgian police have started an investigation into the incident, focusing on negligent manslaughter as they look into this tragedy further.

  • MicroStrategy Joins Nasdaq 100: Big Moves in Bitcoin and Stocks!

    MicroStrategy Joins Nasdaq 100: Big Moves in Bitcoin and Stocks!

    MicroStrategy, a software company that also buys a lot of bitcoin, saw its stock price go up about 3% on Monday. This is because the company is joining the Nasdaq 100 index, a group of the biggest tech companies. Now, MicroStrategy will give investors indirect exposure to bitcoin since it owns $44 billion worth of it—around 2% of all bitcoin available.

    With more funds wanting to invest in Nasdaq 100 companies, MicroStrategy’s stock could keep rising. The company’s stock has already shot up nearly 550% this year, thanks to the rising price of bitcoin. Matthew Dibb, an expert from Astronaut Capital, believes this could start a cycle where more money flows into bitcoin, pushing its price up even higher.

    The Invesco QQQ Trust, the fifth largest U.S. exchange-traded fund (ETF), tracks the Nasdaq 100 and has $328 billion in assets. Bitcoin hit a record high of over $106,000 after Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might create a bitcoin reserve like it has for oil. Since adopting bitcoin as a key asset in 2020, MicroStrategy’s stock has gained 3,200%. This year alone, it has more than doubled its bitcoin holdings.

    Despite recently reporting a net loss of $340 million for three months, MicroStrategy’s long-term plan is to buy and hold bitcoin, according to Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani. Their market value is now over $100 billion, more than double the value of their bitcoin stash. Other companies, like Riot Platforms and small biotech firms, are also investing in bitcoin.

    This development in the Nasdaq 100 is significant for the crypto market, and experts expect there will be lots of discussions about MicroStrategy and its founder, Michael Saylor, in the future. Short sellers betting against MicroStrategy have collectively lost $9.7 billion this year. The Nasdaq 100 is also adding Palantir and Axon Enterprise while replacing Illumina, Super Micro, and Moderna. The new index will start trading on December 23, although Super Micro shares dropped by 9.5%.

  • Diddy and Kutcher’s Friendship: How Love Changed Everything!

    Diddy and Kutcher’s Friendship: How Love Changed Everything!

    Sean “Diddy” Combs and Ashton Kutcher were once great friends who loved going out and partying together. They often hit the clubs with Jamie Foxx and enjoyed life like a fun group from a movie, which they called a modern-day “rat pack.”

    However, everything changed when Ashton started dating Demi Moore in 2003. That was when he told Diddy he had fallen in love, and after that, their fun nights out came to an end.

    Even though they stopped partying, their friendship didn’t really fade away. In a 2010 essay, Diddy mentioned that Ashton was still a good friend and someone he could talk to about life and business. They both appreciate each other’s different views.

    But now, Diddy is in big trouble. He is facing serious federal charges for sex trafficking, which he says aren’t true, and he is currently in jail without bail. People are also looking back at his past friendships, including with Ashton. Some things Ashton said about Diddy’s wild parties during a 2019 interview are being talked about again.

    As for Ashton, he married Demi in 2005, but they divorced in 2011. He later married Mila Kunis in 2015, and together they have two kids. Since Diddy’s legal issues began, Ashton hasn’t talked about him in public.

  • Assad’s Escape: How He Left Syria Amidst Chaos

    Assad’s Escape: How He Left Syria Amidst Chaos

    Former Syrian leader Bashar Assad has shared his first comments since being overthrown by rebel groups. He said he had no plans to leave Syria after the fighting reached Damascus. However, after insurgents attacked the capital, he left the city on December 8 with help from Russian forces. Assad explained that he traveled to the Russian military base in Latakia, a coastal area, where he intended to keep fighting. Later that night, after the base was attacked by drones, the Russians decided to move him to Russia for safety. Assad clarified that he did not leave as part of a pre-planned escape, despite earlier reports.

  • Estonia Calls for 2.5% Defense Spending from NATO Amid Russian Threats

    Estonia Calls for 2.5% Defense Spending from NATO Amid Russian Threats

    Estonia has decided to ask leaders of the northern European NATO countries, who are led by the UK, to spend at least 2.5% of their money (GDP) on defense. This is because of worries about Russia. Right now, only 23 out of the 32 NATO countries plan to spend the NATO goal of 2% of their GDP on defense.

    Michal, a leader in Estonia, told Reuters recently, “Everyone in NATO and the EU feels that we need to spend more on defense because of what’s happening around the world and with Russia.” He believes that Europe, being the richest area in the world, should invest more in defense and security.

    This week, Michal is hosting leaders of a group called the Joint Expeditionary Force in Tallinn. They will discuss Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, which could cause serious environmental problems. Since the war in Ukraine began nearly three years ago, Estonia has doubled its defense budget and plans to reach 3.2% of GDP in 2024.

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned in July that he wants to raise UK defense spending to 2.5% of GDP but only when the UK can afford it after reviewing its defense strategy.

    Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken about ending the war in Ukraine quickly, but he hasn’t shared his plans. Michal stressed the need for lasting peace and suggested using 200 to 300 billion euros from Russia’s frozen assets worldwide to help rebuild Ukraine. He also wants to tax Russian goods to collect an additional 300 billion euros, which he believes would prevent Russia from continuing attacks and strengthen Ukraine’s military.

    “Ukraine is part of Europe and should be in NATO,” Michal added.

  • Pakistan Reduces Interest Rates Again: 5th Cut to 13%!

    Pakistan Reduces Interest Rates Again: 5th Cut to 13%!

    On Monday, Pakistan’s central bank announced that it reduced its key interest rate by 2% to 13%. This is the fifth time they have lowered the rate since June, trying to help the slow economy as inflation decreases. With this change, Pakistan has made some of the biggest interest rate cuts this year among countries with similar situations, except for places like Argentina.

    The country is facing tough challenges in recovering economically but got a boost from a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September. All 12 experts who were asked predicted this 2% cut after the inflation rate dropped to 4.9% in November, which was lower than expected and much less than the 40% high recorded in May last year.

    This latest cut follows previous reductions of 1.5% in June, 1% in July, 2% in September, and a record 2.5% in November. Overall, the interest rate has been cut by an impressive 9% since June, coming down from a record high of 22% that had remained unchanged for a year.