#interest-rates

#interest-rates

The Bank of England expects Rachel Reeves's budget will reduce the UK's headline inflation rate by as much as half a percentage point next year. In a boost for the chancellor after last month's high-stakes tax and spending statement, Clare Lombardelli, a deputy governor at the central bank, said its early analysis showed the policies would lower the annual inflation rate by 0.4 to 0.5 percentage points for a year from mid-2026.

Dividend growth investing has always had an appeal to people who are looking to boost their income, find stability in another unstable market, and build long-term wealth. However, 2026 is shaping up to be something of a turning point as a breakout year for this growing investment philosophy. Between market conditions, earnings trends, and a shift in investor sentiment, 2026 is setting up to be an environment where companies that raise their dividends annually will take a step back into the limelight.

as they not only pay a fat yield but can also deliver upside. Utility companies are not directly exposed to tariffs, while being exposed to tailwinds from the AI buildout. Plus, ongoing interest rate cuts are adding another incentive for investors to buy and hold these stocks. Treasury yields are set to trend lower as a result of these rate cuts, so investors are naturally gravitating towards high-yield stocks.

The gap between the richest and poorest Americans is widening in what Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has called a " bifurcated economy," as the cost of living skyrockets from housing to food prices, but wages for most workers remain stagnant. Basically, high-income individuals are doing well, while lower-income consumers are struggling more and more. That situation has sparked discussions about whether we're in a so-called "K-shaped economy."

Mortgage rates are down despite the fed. I mean, Scott, you've got to work on this guy. He's got some real mental problems. There's something wrong with him. Be honest. I would love to fire his ass. He should be fired. Guy is grossly incompetent. And he should be sued for spending $4 billion to build a little building. I'm building a ballroom that's going to cost a tiny fraction of that and it's bigger than the whole thing put together.

Some Lowe's customers are spending on relatively affordable improvements to their homes, CEO Marvin Ellison said on the retailer's third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. Such purchases include water heaters, kitchen sinks, and windows, executives said on the call. Sales in those areas have also benefited as Lowe's has digitized more of its sales process and added new product selections in some categories, executives said.

After a brief pause in September, home sales across Canada picked back up again in October, rejoining the trend in place since April,

Though details weren't provided, the three-word version says plenty: 50-year mortgage. A loan that, if you didn't sell or refinance - which to be fair, most homeowners will at some point - would take half a century to repay. The idea popped up in a Truth Social post from the president over the weekend, which was quickly re-posted on X by Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte.