The industrial sector doesn't make headlines like tech stocks do, but it's the machinery behind infrastructure spending, defense budgets, and manufacturing cycles. When GDP growth accelerates or governments commit to multi-year infrastructure plans, industrial companies see order books expand. That's the core thesis behind The Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( NYSEARCA:XLI), which offers pure exposure to this cyclical sector through 81 holdings and charges just 0.08% annually.
The cost for the US and other militaries to keep newer combat aircraft ready to fly is going to soar in the coming years, a new report on sustainment trends argues. A new report from the American consulting firm Oliver Wyman projects global military aircraft spending over the next decade, including an annual sustainment cost growth of 1.1% through 2036. That's a pace roughly 11 times faster than the previous decade.
Despite months of warnings from party members up and down the caucus that President Donald Trump has been "lawless," "destructive, and "authoritarian" in his wielding of power both domestically and abroad, 149 Democratic members of the US House of Representatives on Thursday night joined with 192 Republicans to pass a sweeping military spending bill - a vote that progressive critics say exposes the fecklessness and hypocrisy of what claims to be an opposition party.
Active-duty force size is a tally of a country's uniformed troops: airmen, soldiers, sailors, special operators, and Marines. Armies, in particular, depend on size to gain and occupy ground. Militaries can also be a tool of domestic repression, a focus that undercuts its capabilities against an external foe. North Korea, for example, is one of the world's most repressive states, led by a dictator who has repeatedly threatened neighboring South Korea.
The Department of Defense identified issues with tracking funds for programs like its F-35 fighter jet program, the Pentagon's most expensive project with a cost of over $2 trillion over the past few decades. The authors of the department's annual financial report, released Friday, identified 26 material weaknesses within the department's internal controls - referring to severe issues among the agency's accounting that could lead to major misstatements in financial reports.
Headquartered at the Pentagon, the Department of Defense employs nearly 2.6 million people and has an annual budget of more than $870 billion, making it the largest, and one of the best funded agencies in the federal government. Thousands of DOD employees, including both civilians and active-duty service members, are stationed in each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.
Spain is joining the joint purchases of U.S. military equipment by NATO countries for shipment to Ukraine. The decision was confirmed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez upon arriving at the meeting of the European Council this Thursday in Brussels. This is a proposal that NATO launched a few weeks ago. I had the opportunity to speak with President Zelenskiy [] and I informed him that we were going to join this program, the Spanish leader stated in response to questions from the media.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has once more vowed that his conservative CDU/CSU alliance would distance itself "clearly and explicitly" from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of five state elections next year. "We will now also be very clear and very explicit about where the AfD stands in terms of content, and we will distance ourselves from them very clearly and very explicitly," he said after a party conference in Berlin.
Defense stocks are gaining traction in 2025, driven by heightened global security concerns and robust investor interest. A post from The Kobeissi Letter on X highlights FactSet data showing aerospace and defense exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows reaching $8.2 billion in the first three quarters of 2025 - a 573% surge compared to 2024. This spike reflects growing unease over geopolitical tensions and optimism about long-term sector growth, fueled by increased defense spending and new fund launches.
Europe has long been known for its military history, partly because it was the site of the largest war the world has ever seen. Since then, Europe's defense landscape has changed into a mix of NATO allies and nations with some of the strongest militaries globally. Here, 24/7 Wall St. looks at the largest military forces in Europe. Right now, Europe's military strength is even more important due to changes in U.S. foreign policy.
WASHINGTON - Congressional defense hawks in the Senate are once again pushing to boost the topline of the defense budget in fiscal 2026, but as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill in September, they will have to face an even more pressing question: Will they be able to pass a full-year spending bill at all? Congress failed at passing FY25 appropriations after talks between Republicans and Democrats broke down, resulting in the approval of a full year continuing resolution in March. The bill marked the first time the Defense Department will have been funded under a CR for an entire year.
Australia is making significant financial contributions to the US shipbuilding industry, totaling $1.6bn thus far, as part of the Aukus agreement for future submarine production.
Housing remains far and away the biggest concern in every opinion poll. The Government is under pressure to allocate funds to alleviate the housing crisis, alongside health.
