E-Learning

U.S. government shutdown fears and fresh trade war threats cast another cloud over Wall Street as a bruising final full trading week of the year comes to a close and dampens what had been a stellar year for U.S. stocks. Already sideswiped by what was seen as a 'hawkish cut' in Federal Reserve interest rates on Wednesday, where the central bank lifted both its 2025 policy rate and inflation projections, the S&P 500 was in the red again late Thursday and futures were down almost 1% before Friday's bell. A spending bill backed by Donald Trump failed in the U.S. House of Representatives late Thursday as dozens of Republicans defied the President-elect, leaving Congress with no clear plan to avert a fast-approaching government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel.

Fed Chair Jay Powell did nothing particularly surprising on Wednesday, but markets reacted sharply. The strong reaction does not portend smooth sailing in the year ahead as the uncertainty Powell referenced arrives.

Money market account rates vary widely. So which banks are offering the best money market account rates today? Find out here.

(Bloomberg) -- It’s been a tough year for investors in European aviation, with Boeing Co.’s production woes, engine problems grounding aircraft and the still-sluggish corporate-travel market weighing on the sector.Most Read from BloombergNew York City’s Historic Preservation Movement Is Having a Midlife CrisisNYPD Car Chases Are Becoming More Frequent — and More DangerousDakar’s Air Quality Plummets as Saharan Dust Descends on SenegalReviving a Little-Known Modernist Landmark in BuffaloCarriers

Proactive capacity management contributed to a 12% YoY increase in the global air cargo spot rate since the start of peak season, compared to 25% in 2023.

Diesel car sales in the region in November were about 20k lower than a year earlier.

OpenAI made its popular artificial intelligence-powered chatbot more accessible this week, announcing that U.S. phone numbers can call it at 1-800-CHATGPT, while global users can text the chatbot via WhatsApp (META).

(Bloomberg) -- Nestle SA’s slumping stock valuation has made it irresistible for money manager J. Stern & Co., which has been increasing its holdings in the face of widespread market concern about the pace of a turnaround at the Swiss consumer-goods giant.Most Read from BloombergNew York City’s Historic Preservation Movement Is Having a Midlife CrisisNYPD Car Chases Are Becoming More Frequent — and More DangerousDakar’s Air Quality Plummets as Saharan Dust Descends on SenegalReviving a Little-Kn

Behind a record surge in cocoa prices this year, a corner of financial markets that drives the cost of chocolate underwent a seismic shift: the hedge funds that oiled its workings headed for the exit. Confectionery prices, from candy bars to hot chocolate, are heavily influenced by futures contracts for cocoa beans. In the middle of last year, hedge funds - a class of investors that use privately pooled money to make speculative bets - started pulling back from trading cocoa futures because price swings in the market were raising their cost of trading and making it harder to make profits.

Futures markets have seen a record-breaking run in cocoa prices in 2024, a surge exacerbated by the hedge funds that provide much of their liquidity heading for the exit. Here are some facts on futures markets, including how they operate and the main players. Cocoa beans are the vital ingredient in chocolate.