Investments and Business

Today's housing market is significantly different from that of just a few years ago. High mortgage rates and rising home prices have reduced consumer purchasing power, while limited housing supply maintains fierce competition. As a result, housing affordability has declined significantly since the pandemic began. Here are six charts that illustrate the current state of the real estate market and its implications: 1. Mortgage rates:The 30-year mortgage rate, a popular choice among homebuyers, is key to understanding the market. This rate determines the cost of borrowing to buy a home. The rate has recently hovered around 7%, down from a…

DETROIT — General Motors has unveiled the latest version of its iconic sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, set to become the most powerful model in the brand’s history. The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 will feature a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces over 1,000 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque. This significant increase in power positions the ZR1 among the elite supercars, typically priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. “This car accelerates like a freight train,” noted Tadge Juechter, Corvette’s executive chief engineer since 2006, at a recent media event. “We expect this to be the fastest car…

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against the NBA to secure the rights to broadcast a package of live games, challenging the league’s decision to award those rights to Amazon. “Due to the NBA’s unjustified rejection of our game against a third-party offer, we have initiated legal proceedings to enforce our rights,” said TNT Sports, a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. “We firmly believe this is not only our contractual right, but also the best service for fans who prefer our flexible and widely accessible platforms, including TNT and Max.” The media company seeks to block the NBA from…

Here are some stocks that saw significant moves in after-hours trading: Dexcom Dexcom shares jumped after their quarterly earnings report beat Wall Street expectations. The company, known for its continuous glucose monitoring systems, reported stronger-than-expected revenue growth, fueling investor optimism and sending the stock up 7%. Lane Online learning platform Coursera saw its shares rise 5% after reporting better-than-expected revenue and user growth. The company cited increased enrollment and partnerships with educational institutions as key factors contributing to its positive performance. Deckers outdoors Deckers Outdoor, the parent company of popular brands like UGG and Teva, has seen its stock price…

Wall Street’s most reliable recession indicator started signaling trouble in 2022 and hasn’t stopped since, but so far it has proven wrong every time. The yield on 10-year Treasuries has been lower than that of many shorter-term bonds, a scenario known as an inverted yield curve, which has historically preceded nearly every recession since the 1950s. Traditionally, an inverted yield curve suggests a recession within a year or two. However, not only has a recession not occurred, but U.S. economic growth remains stable. This has led many on Wall Street to wonder why this once-reliable indicator has proven wrong this…

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will speak at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., on Monday, providing insights into the central bank's interest rate policy and the broader economic landscape. Powell will engage in a discussion with David Rubenstein, president of the Economic Club and co-founder of The Carlyle Group. The move marks Powell’s first public comments since Thursday’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which showed monthly prices for June falling. During his two-day testimony on Capitol Hill last week, Powell said the Federal Reserve now sees the risks of rising inflation and a slowing economy as more balanced. He…

Tesla’s U.S. electric vehicle market share fell below 50% for the first time in the second quarter of the year, according to recent estimates from research firm Cox Automotive. Tesla’s share fell to 49.7% from 59.3% in the same period last year. The decline is notable as battery-powered vehicle sales have hit record highs during the same time frame. From April to June, Tesla faced increasing competition from General Motors, Ford, Hyundai, and Kia. Cox Automotive estimates, based on filings, company reports, and other data, highlight this shift. The latest quarter marks a significant milestone, as it is the first…

David Ellison’s Hollywood journey has been filled with high-energy, adrenaline-filled blockbusters filled with suspense, stunts and unexpected twists. But on Sunday, he achieved his most significant milestone by negotiating a merger with Paramount after months of discussions with the company and its largest shareholder, Shari Redstone. If the deal goes through, he will oversee a vast media empire that includes CBS, MTV and the Paramount movie studio. Although Ellison, 41, has been among Hollywood's elite for over a decade, he's only just now entering the spotlight. Here's a rundown of his career. Who is David Ellison and what is Skydance?…

Jane McAlevey, an influential organizer and labor scholar, died Sunday at her cabin in Muir Beach, California, at the age of 59. Her half-brother, Mitchell Rotbert, confirmed that multiple myeloma was the cause of death. McAlevey had previously undergone surgery for breast cancer. Throughout her career, McAlevey was a staunch advocate for the working class, emphasizing the importance of worker-led unions. She believed that member-led unions were the most powerful tools for combating economic inequality. In her numerous writings and media appearances, she criticized many U.S. labor leaders for what she saw as their complacency and collusion with corporate interests.…

This article is part of Neglected, a series of obituaries about extraordinary people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, were not reported by The Times. For many fashionable women of the mid-20th century, a hat wasn't worth wearing unless it was made by Otto Lucas. Lucas was a London milliner famous for his elegant turbans, caps and cloches, often made of fine velvets and silks and decorated with flowers or feathers. Her designs have graced the covers of magazines such as British Vogue and have been worn by illustrious clients, including actresses Greta Garbo and Gene Tierney, as well as the…