Restaurants have increasingly turned to surcharges and fees as a means of coping with rising costs and maintaining profitability. A recent report from Square revealed that in the second quarter of 2022, 3.7% of restaurant transactions included a service fee, marking a significant increase from previous years. While some argue that these fees are necessary
In light of the upcoming Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision in September, more investors are turning their attention to dividend stocks. Paul Baiocchi from SS&C ALPS Advisors believes this is a wise move given his prediction of the Fed easing rates. According to Baiocchi, investors are moving away from money markets and fixed income towards
The Federal Reserve’s holdings of mortgage bonds have been described as playing a “central” role in how monetary policy affects the economy’s momentum. A recent paper presented at a central bank research conference highlighted how the Fed’s actions with its holdings of Treasury and mortgage bonds, in addition to changes in its interest rate target,
The U.S. stock market experienced a significant rally on Friday following dovish remarks from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell’s comments solidified expectations that the central bank will cut its key policy rate in September. The anticipation of a rate cut was evident in the market’s response to Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole
Two highly anticipated films hit theaters with disappointing previews this past Thursday. The Zoë Kravitz-directed thriller, Blink Twice, and Lionsgate/Edward R. Pressman’s The Crow only managed to bring in $820K and $650K in previews, respectively. Unfortunately, these low numbers are not expected to result in successful openings for either film. One would have expected more
The Biden administration recently announced that it will be resuming the distribution of free at-home Covid-19 tests to American households starting in late September. This initiative comes at a crucial time as the virus continues to spread rapidly across the country during the summer months. Through the COVIDtests.gov website, Americans will have the opportunity to
Mexican consumers, drawn by affordable prices, have embraced Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) as an alternative to traditional car brands. Last year, China became the top automobile supplier to Mexico, exporting $4.6 billion worth of vehicles to the country. This trend has not gone unnoticed by officials in Washington, who are wary of Mexico potentially serving
Remote work has become a significant trend in the U.S. labor market, gaining prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic and showing no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Economists point out that this shift in work dynamics is one of the most significant changes seen in the labor market over the past few decades. The concept of
Australia’s bank regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), has increased the amount of spare cash that ANZ, the country’s third-largest lender, must hold in response to suspected misconduct at its bond trading unit. Originally, a A$500 million capital add-on was imposed on ANZ and other major banks in 2019 during a crackdown on industry
Canada’s economy faces the risk of shrinking significantly if the current rail stoppage continues for an extended period of time. Economists and analysts have warned that the negative effects could be substantial, leading to job losses and an increase in consumer prices. According to Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist at the Conference Board of Canada, a