Market News &amp; Insights.

Former JPMorgan exec takes on Social Security advisory role

Matt Zames will take on an unpaid adviser position at the Social Security Administration, according to reports.

Trump, Vance and Bessent try to calm the bond market with ‘alternative facts’

Maybe this stuff works on TV or on the stump. But it doesn’t work on Wall Street, where people can count.

The Treasury, the Fed and the threat to your money

Also in Weekend Reads: The Gen Z online sports-betting trend, what’s next for Apple as Tim Cook exits, and a bullish take on Nvidia heading into earnings.

5 things to know about the Chinese e-commerce juggernaut Shein ahead of its IPO

The fast-fashion giant is aiming to list shares in Hong Kong on Sept. 1. It’s been trying to go public for four years.

Tesla’s stock jumps as the company gets cleared for a Las Vegas robotaxi launch

The automaker plans to soon launch its Cybercab in Austin, Texas, and got the nod to deploy thousands of vehicles in Nevada.

The U.S. and Canada are scrambling to avoid new tariffs and seal a trade deal. Here’s what could be in it.

U.S. and Canadian officials were engaged in additional talks on Friday. Details about what’s in their new trade deal have trickled out.

6 AI hardware stocks to own for the remainder of the year, according to an analyst

An Evercore ISI analyst sees strong growth ahead for storage makers, networking providers and Apple.

States are coming after prediction markets — and setting up a costly legal battle over who gets to regulate them

Prediction markets like Kalshi are regulated in different ways across states. There’s a better way for them to thrive.

I need to get out of my job. Can I leave for a competitor if I’ve signed a non-compete?

“I’ve been unhappy for a while.”

Bitcoin on track for best week in more than two years. Can this mean the next crypto bull market has arrived?

Is bitcoin ready to move on after a lengthy slump? One analyst says investors should be careful in trying to guess a bottom for the crypto.

When it comes to stock buybacks, anything SK Hynix can do, Samsung can do bigger

As demand far outstrips supply in the memory-chip market, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics are generating outsize profits and throwing off huge free cash flow. Now both companies plan to return lots of this to shareholders

American consumers are delivering a retail reality check as they laser in on bargains

Recent earnings results suggest that the typical shopper is ‘employed, still spending, and increasingly disciplined about it.’

The U.S. government plans to crack down on its $40 trillion debt — but brace for a ‘wrenching time’ ahead

Washington has no shortage of options. None are easy.

Nvidia earnings could rescue a stalled-out stock market — if the AI chip maker breaks this trend

Shares of Jensen Huang’s company have struggled to make headway since its previous results day.

‘The estrangement isn’t about politics’: My daughter hasn’t spoken to me for 4 years. Do I leave her a monthly annuity?

“You’ll have to trust me when I tell you that she had love, support and opportunities.”

Hedge funds are doubling down on megacap tech stocks after summer volatility triggers massive portfolio cleanup

Hedge funds entered the second quarter all-in on the AI trade, but have begun to diversify their portfolios lately. They’re dipping into healthcare, energy and financials.

Legendary film editor Billy Weber of ‘Miss Congeniality’ and ‘Top Gun’ lists historic L.A. home for $4 million

Film editor Billy Weber’s tranquil Los Angeles home has hit the market for $3.99 million.

Sports betting to build wealth is becoming the new American dream

More people under 30 are using gambling as a shortcut to buying a home or paying student loans

The bond market is going to burst the stock-market bubble

Rising yields threaten everything, especially overextended equities.

Moderna’s personalized mRNA shot could reshape the fight against skin cancer — but it may also be overhyped

Doctors and patients are excited about the possible breakthrough, but some analysts believe there’s too much hype.

Neocloud stocks like CoreWeave are having a moment — and time’s running out to cash in

The neoclouds are destined to be “cyclical leasing companies,” according to BCA analyst Noah Weisberger, which implies low valuations for the stocks.

If rising rates were enough to end a bull market, we’d have entered a bear market long ago

The “Fed Model” has turned bearish — how much should you care?

Apple has gotten too predictable. Can its next CEO bring back the element of surprise?

Wall Street is hoping that John Ternus will shift Apple’s AI strategy by spending more, pursuing larger mergers and doubling down on innovation.

Social Security union says it needs $3 billion and another 20,000 workers to fix long wait times and ‘ghost offices’

“The public is going to have a harder and harder time accessing these benefits,” union official said.

The biggest loser from the Treasury’s latest buyback plan: The U.S. dollar. Here’s why.

An important pain threshold has been crossed, one currency-market expert warns.

Anxious bond market sends troubling message to investors: There’s no easy fix for U.S. debt

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to calm markets is being short-circuited.

The rise in interest rates hit a ‘raw nerve’ at the White House. Bessent’s plan has analysts on edge.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent doubled down on his department’s intervention in the bond market, saying the Treasury could make additional moves and that its buybacks may be bigger than what was initially announced.

The energy market’s rising ‘crack spread’ is threatening to break the American consumer

The energy market is sending a warning to cash-strapped consumers: Don’t expect prices at the pump to come down anytime soon.

Conditions are ripe for a market ‘accident,’ but surging bond yields alone won’t cause it, concedes pessimistic strategist

The rise in bond yields renders markets more vulnerable to bad news, observes the “permabear” Albert Edwards of Société Générale.

Crypto comeback? Bitcoin and ethereum are headed for their best day in months as investors flock to hard assets.

After months of slumber, digital currencies are waking up, with bitcoin and ethereum shooting higher on Thursday, as traders credited President Donald Trump’s crypto-bill initiative and the disturbance in bond markets for helping to revive momentum in the hard-hit space.