No-one has ever been able to turn lead into gold, as medieval alchemists promised, but two Australian billionaires have found a way to turn iron ore into gold. Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest with fortunes estimated by Forbes at $30.1 billion and $14.8 billion respectively have added gold to their better-known interest in mining iron ore. In Rinehart’s case the addition of gold is almost accidental with a small lithium exploration company in which she has a 10% interest carving out a gold business with the aim being to catch the record gold price of more than $3380 an ounce.…

There’s a stark difference between recently positive economic news, and what forecasts, including President Trump’s suggest about tariffs. April’s jobs report was strong with a healthy 177,000 jobs added and unemployment stable at 4.2%. Rather than sharply rising prices, we’ve seen some slight disinflation to March 2025. The stock market has rallied sharply off April’s lows. This is good news and all implies a limited U.S. economic impact from tariffs for the initial months of 2025. However, predictions for the U.S. economy remain generally pessimistic. Consumer surveys show declining confidence in the economy, according to research from the University of…

Key News Asian equities were mixed overnight as Hong Kong and Mainland China returned from holiday refreshed and in good spirits (similar to how I feel post-vacation), and Indonesia outperformed while Thailand underperformed. Japan was closed for Greenery Day, a holiday “dedicated to appreciating nature and expressing gratitude for its blessings.” South Korea was closed for Vesak Day, which is also Buddha’s Birthday. Hong Kong and Mainland China were driven higher by green shoots in U.S.-China trade talks last Friday and over the weekend, as well as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s positive comments yesterday. Asian currencies have made monster moves…

We just saw the first real signs that the “vibecession” is becoming something more—and this is our cue to pluck from our portfolios (or avoid adding!) three funds that are way into bubble territory. (Names and tickers below.) Let’s start with that slowdown signal. In this chart, from Apollo Global Management, we see that the total number of Americans who are only making the minimum payments on their credit cards is at its highest level in over a decade. This tells us that inflation and a slowdown in the job market are putting direct (and increasing) pressure on household budgets.…

Evolving U.S. tariff policies have made waves in the stock market. In April, the S&P 500, a benchmark index for large-cap stocks, fell 20% from a February high before rallying back to a 3% loss for the year. The volatility may wreak havoc on your portfolio returns, but it also creates opportunities for long-term investors. This guide explains how to use a simple, free stock screener to find those opportunities—good stocks with upside—in minutes. Also included are tips for researching those stocks to ensure they align with your investment goals. 1. Pick A Screener Stock screeners are applications that filter…

According to NextEarningsDate.com, the McKesson next earnings date is projected to be 5/8 after the close, with earnings estimates of $9.81/share on $94.19 Billion of revenue. Looking back, the recent McKesson earnings history looks like this: The company has an impressive long-term earnings per share chart: And with equally impressive revenue growth: But earnings reports can often uniquely bring abrupt volatility to a stock, in either direction, as investors digest the fundamental details. And that volatility can be a stock options trader’s dream come true — so such traders will be interested to know that McKesson has options available that…

Key News It was a quiet night, as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand were all closed for Labor Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Children’s Day, Children’s Day, and Coronation Day, respectively. Hong Kong and Mainland China will reopen tomorrow. There are signs that the trade war is slowly cooling off after President Trump stated that he wants a fair deal with China. The President claimed officials from both countries have begun talking. Those comments were reiterated in his Sunday morning NBC news interview, according to Reuters. The Ministry of Commerce’s press conference appeared to refute the notion that…

When President Trump was a businessman, he was famous for taking on lots of debt. Now that he’s the President, I believe that companies would be smart to do the opposite. High-debt companies run at least three risks. Rising interest rates. Tariffs could make some goods scarcer. Tight immigration policy could make labor scarcer. The combination could push up inflation, leading to higher rates that make interest payments more painful. A recession. If the economy turns sour, companies with lots of debt are in danger of falling into the bankruptcy chasm. J.P. Morgan Chase thinks the chance of a recession…

Murphy Oil has been named as a Top 10 dividend paying energy stock, according to Dividend Channel, which published its weekly ”DividendRank” report. The report noted that among energy companies, MUR shares displayed both attractive valuation metrics and strong profitability metrics. For example, the recent MUR share price of $21.78 represents a price-to-book ratio of 0.6 and an annual dividend yield of 5.97% — by comparison, the average energy stock in Dividend Channel’s coverage universe yields 4.4% and trades at a price-to-book ratio of 2.6. The report also cited the strong quarterly dividend history at Murphy Oil Corp, and favorable…

Are US stocks set to lose out to the rest of the world forever? That’s what the press would have us believe. But we contrarian dividend investors are looking at this from a different angle. Our strategy? Buy America when the rest of the world is selling. It’s worked before, and we have every reason to believe it will work now, too. So let’s talk about it—and the best way to position ourselves for US stocks’ next leg up, with a healthy dividend payout on the side. Press Panics, US Stocks Bounce It’s funny, but not surprising, that the moment…