Copper prices broke US$10,000 per metric ton this week, hitting highs not seen in two years. The last time they crossed the threshold was in March 2022 amid tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although concerns about demand from China remain, worries over dwindling global supply are heating up. Copper…
A new strategy has emerged in the battle to ban smoking in casinos: the shareholder vote. Shareholders at Boyd Gaming, Bally’s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment will put on the ballot at the respective casino companies proposals to force them to study the costs associated with permitting smoking indoors — and whether going smoke-free could save…
A federal jury in New York on Thursday convicted an investor of insider trading in the stock of a shell company ahead of its announcement in October 2021 that it would merge with Trump Media. The investor, Bruce Garelick, had been on the board of directors of the publicly traded company, Digital World Acquisition Corp.,…
Aside from ramen and sausages, South Korea’s convenience stores have a new popular item on the menu — gold bars. The country’s largest convenience store chain, CU, has been collaborating with the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO) to offer customers mini gold bars — and they’re selling like…
Mortgage rates are significantly higher than they were at the start of this year, but they pulled back slightly last week after several weeks of straight increases. That was enough to spark some new demand, especially for refinances. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan…
Some customers of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX could receive the full value of the money they lost if a court approves the company’s bankruptcy plan. However, they will not see the gains on their holdings of bitcoin and other digital assets that have occurred over the past two years,…
Applebee’s and IHOP owner Dine Brands thinks its deals can lure away fast-food customers who have grown frustrated with menu prices. As consumers pull back their restaurant spending, Applebee’s and IHOP are fighting against a larger group of rivals than usual for a smaller pool of customers. Dine Brands CEO John Peyton said full-service…
LONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday announced a widely expected hold on interest rates as it said restrictive monetary policy was taming inflation, but warned a June rate cut was not a done deal. Members of the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 7-2 to hold, with the…
Ascension Health, the nation’s largest chain of Catholic hospitals, said Thursday it was responding to a cyberattack that was disrupting its operations. In a press release on its website, Ascension said the attack had caused ‘disruption to clinical operations’ as access to some systems had been interrupted. ‘Our care teams…
Hyundai’s and Kia’s American financing arm will pay $334,941 to settle charges it illegally repossessed vehicles belonging to military service members, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday. According to papers filed in Los Angeles federal court, Hyundai Capital America violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act between 2015 and 2023 by…