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Tatiana Maksimova | Moment | Getty ImagesS&P 500 companies are keeping more profit from every dollar in sales than ever before, providing another tailwind for stocks.Using FactSet data, John Butters, senior earnings analyst and vice president at FactSet, showed that the S&P 500’s blended net profit margin is running at 16.9% for the second quarter. That’s up from 14.8% in the first quarter and 12.9% a year ago, and well above the five-year average of 12.4%. Net profit margin is the percentage of revenue companies get to pocket after they have paid all expenses.If that 16.9% figure holds, it would…

Shares of Dell have roughly quadrupled in price this year, with Lenovo’s earnings report helping to drive the latest bout of momentum for the PC and server maker.

As financial institutions push artificial intelligence deeper into everyday operations, the harder question is not what the technology can do but how firms need to change to work with it. Maximilian Groth, chief executive and co-founder of the confidential-computing and data-collaboration company Decentriq, argues that the first thing to break is the approval chain, and that the firms getting the most from AI are rarely the ones deploying the most of it. Maximilian Groth, CEO and co-founder at Decentriq The debate about AI in financial services has largely been a debate about capability: what models can do, how fast they…

August 2026 Government bond-backed repo markets: between resilience and vulnerability Ayelen Banegas, Lucas Devigne, Mulalo Mamburu, Kleopatra Nikolaou, Anna Samarina, Fabio Tamburrini Abstract: This paper synthesizes the literature on vulnerabilities in government bond-backed repo markets, focusing on the features that contribute to both the fragility and stability of these markets. The literature shows that the same features that enable efficient liquidity provision, including short-term funding, dealer intermediation, extensive collateral reuse, and low haircuts, can also create channels for rapid transmission of stress. The review documents tight linkages between repo and government bond markets, highlighting how repos are key…

After past snubs, social-media site Reddit has landed a spot on the S&P 500, sending shares on an after-hours rally Thursday.

New FDIC process to review deposit insurance applications aligns with OCC efforts WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency continues to prioritize reinvigorating de novo chartering to build a robust, diverse banking system that supports the U.S. economy and commends the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for its recent efforts to do the same. “De novo chartering is a sign of a healthy banking system,” said Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan V. Gould.  “The FDIC’s new process to review deposit insurance applications aligns with the OCC’s efforts to reverse the decline in de novo chartering by providing a clear and…

Image source: The Motley Fool. DATE Wed., Aug. 5, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Operating Officer – Evan Kasowitz Chief Executive – Jay Brown Chief Financial Officer – Brian Riley Full Conference Call Transcript Operator: Good morning ladies and gentlemen and thank you for standing by and welcome to the Global Indemnity Group second quarter 2026 earnings call. My name is Franz, and I will be the conference operator today. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to turn the call over to Evan Kasowitz, Chief Operating Officer of Global Indemnity Group. Please go ahead. Evan Kasowitz: Thank…

The Consumer Products-Staples industry is navigating a challenging operating environment as persistent cost pressures, elevated living expenses and heightened consumer price sensitivity weigh on demand. Value-conscious shoppers are increasingly seeking affordable alternatives, adjusting pack sizes and responding to promotions, creating a more volatile volume environment across several categories. At the same time, higher raw material, labor and transportation costs, along with elevated SG&A expenses, continue to pressure margins.Amid these challenges, consumer staples companies are focusing on productivity, cost optimization and supply-chain efficiency while investing in digital capabilities, marketing and product development to support long-term growth. For companies with international operations,…

Free NewsletterGet the hottest Fintech Singapore News once a month in your InboxBRICS is examining ways to make cross-border payments cheaper through closer links between fast payment systems and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the proposals remain under discussion, according to Reuters.Possible approaches include greater interoperability between members’ instant payment networks and connections between their respective CBDCs.The discussions follow an earlier RBI push to put CBDC connectivity on the BRICS agenda.Reuters reported in January that the RBI had asked the Indian government to include a proposal for connecting member countries’ CBDCs at the…

Prior was +0.2% m/m16% trimmed mean CPI +0.2% vs 0.0% priorOn a 12-month basis:Median CPI 2.7% vs 2.7% prior16% trimmed-mean 2.6% vs 2.6% priorHere is the Cleveland Fed’s description of what they’re doing:A number of measures have been developed to measure underlying inflation. The CPI excluding food and energy prices (core CPI) removes price changes of the same items from the CPI each month—namely, food and energy prices—because they are typically the most volatile. The median CPI and the trimmed-mean CPI use a different approach. These measures exclude the smallest and largest price changes during the month, so the items…