Author: Lucas

Strategy (MSTR)  on Monday announced a further 25 basis point increase in the dividend rate of its STRC preferred series to 10.75%. This is the fourth increase since the IPO launch at the end of July. One of Strategy’s perpetual preferred stocks, STRC, or “Stretch,” is designed to offer short duration characteristics with high yield exposure. It currently pays a 10.75% annual dividend, distributed monthly in cash. The dividend rate is adjusted each month to encourage trading near STRC’s $100 par value and to limit price volatility. When launched in July, STRC initially carried a 9% dividend rate at the…

What affects the price of precious metals? Supply and demand As with any product or service, a shortage of precious metals – or an increased need for them – makes them more valuable. For example, if a strike at a major silver mine interrupts production, silver prices could increase over the short term. An improvement in mining equipment could have the opposite effect, speeding up production and saturating the market – which would drive prices down, assuming demand remains constant. Economic uncertainty In times of economic and political instability, precious metals are traditionally viewed as safe havens due to their…

LONDON, Dec. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ —  Report Attribute Details Historical Period 2020–2023 Base Year 2024 Forecast Period 2026–2032 Market Size 2024 USD 3,474.79 Million CAGR (2026–2032) 28.53 % Market Size 2032 USD 25,609.41 Million The global Hydrogen-Powered Heavy Machinery Market is entering a defining decade marked by rapid technological innovation, decarbonization mandates, and broad-based industrial transformation. As governments, energy providers, and manufacturing companies intensify their commitments to carbon reduction and sustainable industrial operations, hydrogen-fueled machinery has emerged as one of the most promising pathways to achieving heavy-duty zero-emission performance. Industries traditionally dependent on diesel-powered machinery construction, mining, agriculture, ports, logistics, tunneling, materials…

KUALA LUMPUR: Sentiment on the local stock market remains weak after two straight losing sessions as the final month of 2025 has provided few domestic trading catalysts.Neverthess, anticipation over a Federal Reserve rate cut next week could help to shore up the fragile market, said TA Securities in its market outlook.With a recent US labour report reviving hopes of a reduced interest rate, CME FedWatch has pegged an 87% probability of a 25 basis points rate cut at the coming Federal Opem Market Committee meeting. Malacca Securities noted its review that year-end window-dressing activities are expected to support the overall sentiment…

Karla Dennis, EA, MST, is CFO/CEO of the award-winning tax accounting firm KDA Inc.—specializing in tax planning.Business owners, it’s time to talk about one of the most powerful deductions still on the books: the qualified business income deduction, also known as QBI. Below are four ways to lock in QBI tax savings this year, plus the common mistakes I’ve seen that can wipe them out.QBI: What It Is And Why It MattersQBI allows eligible businesses to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. That’s not a credit—it’s a direct deduction of taxable income. It’s available for LLCs, S…

Japan’s bond market just delivered an uncomfortable signal for global markets, warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and asset management organizations.  The warning from deVere Group’s chief executive Nigel Green comes as demand at Thursday’s 30-year Japanese government bond auction surged to its strongest level since 2019, even as yields climbed to multi-decade highs. “Investors didn’t step back. They leaned in,” he explains.  “Higher yields aren’t driving investors away from Japan. They’re pulling money in. When long-term bonds start to offer serious income again, investors pay attention.” Japan’s 30-year yield has risen above 3.4%, reaching around…

Daniel Wiffen has won a gold medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle at the European Short Course Championships in Poland. Wiffen battled with Hungarian Zalan Sarkany throughout the race, rarely overtaking him, with a close finish inevitable. However, the Irishman eventually got on top in the final three lengths to win in a time of 14:13.96, over a second and a half ahead of Sarkany. Germany’s Florian Wellbrock took bronze. The Armagh native (below) explained that the race was full of emotion and even at the 800m mark, felt he may have not been able to take the win. “I’m…

Concerns about an AI bubble pushed Innodata lower last month.Shares of Innodata (INOD 2.43%), an AI stock focused on data-labeling, were pulling back last month as the stock reacted to concerns about the AI bubble bursting and an underwhelming earnings report. As a result, the stock finished the month down 23%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. As you can see from the chart below, most of the stock’s losses came in the first half of the month, which included its earnings report. INOD data by YCharts What’s happening with Innodata? Small-cap AI stocks have been relatively hard…

NIS petrol stations won a reprieve (Andrej ISAKOVIC) The fallout from the shutdown of Serbia’s only oil refinery could last years, experts told AFP, putting thousands of jobs and the state’s budget at risk — as well as exposing the country to further sanctions. The Petroleum Industry of Serbia’s (NIS) refinery has been unable to receive crude oil since October 9 after its Russian majority owners were swept up in US sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Washington is demanding a complete exit of Russian shareholders, but talks over its potential sale have dragged on, forcing the company to shut…

Anne Marie Hukriede has three times appealed her insurance company’s decision not to cover her daughter’s scoliosis surgery. The answer each time was the same: Aetna considers the procedure that doctors recommend for her 12-year-old daughter, Vivian, to be experimental, citing a lack of evidence about long-term safety and efficacy. When the company’s third denial came on Nov. 11, Vivian’s surgery was just days away. Given that the procedure can cost up to $100,000 out of pocket, the family postponed it. Hukriede, who lives in Centennial, Colorado, exhausted her final chance for appeal last month. Now, the ideal window for…