JPMorgan Faces Federal Probe Over Energy Trading 'Schemes'
The latest federal inquiry to focus on JPMorgan Chase bears uncomfortable similarities to one of the most notorious chapters in U.S. business history: the Enron scandal.
Commodities
U.S. Mint Suspends Some Gold Coin Sales After Demand Surge
The U.S. Mint has suspended sales of its one-tenth ounce American Eagle gold coins as surging demand after bullion's plunge in price depleted the government's inventory.
Dow Has Worst Day This Year as Commodities Plunge
The stock market had its worst drop this year as prices for oil and other commodities fell sharply on concerns about slowing growth in China.
Sugar Games: A Peek Inside the Elite, High-Stakes Gamble of Sugar Futures
Every few weeks, a handful of the world's biggest merchants play a high-stakes game, and a well-connected newcomer from Asia, Wilmar International, just sat down at the table. The stakes are in sugar often worth hundreds of millions of dollars; the occasion is the expiry of futures contracts.
Gold Prices Are Falling, But It's Still a Good Time to Sell Old Jewelry
For years, gold prices have been breaking records. But prices are starting to drop now that the economy may be recovering. If you're thinking about selling your gold, here are some tips for getting top dollar before the bubble bursts.
Gold Tops the List of the Fourth Quarter's Likely Winners
Most commodities rallied in the third quarter, but can they hold on to their advance? Read on, and find out which ones still have legs to dance their way higher, and which are poised to take a tumble. The short answer to that from analysts is that gold and oil are likely to advance, while grains and sugar are among those that probably won't, but there will be a lot of different factors to consider.
Canada Kills the Penny and Saves Millions: Why the U.S. Should Too
Metal costs have soared so high that it now costs significantly more for the U.S. Mint to produce a penny than the coins themselves are worth. That's why Canada just stopped making pennies. We should too.
How Wall Street's Speculators Are Bidding Up Your Grocery Bill
Over the past 10 years, prices for basic food commodities have increased by an average of more than 125%. Part of the increase is due to rising production costs and demand. But you also have Wall Street traders to thank.
Spike in Orange Juice Prices? It's Pulp Fiction
Orange juice drinkers can relax. Fears of a spike in the price of the breakfast favorite appear overblown. The specter was raised of a January OJ shortage in the U.S., which could have translated into sharply higher prices on store shelves. But there should be plenty of oranges, and juice, to go around.
Investing Error: Don't Use Stocks as an Inflation Hedge
You%u2019ve heard it so often you can probably repeat it in your sleep: Equities are the best protection against inflation. But academic research establishes clearly that it just isn't so: Stocks aren't a good hedge against inflation at all, particularly high inflation.
Thanksgiving Dinner's Pricetag Rises 13 Percent
Nothing is sacred when it comes to the whims of the global economy -- not even your holiday bird. The cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner -- turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings -- will increase about 13% this year, the biggest jump since 1990.
Investment Tips: How to Tame the Wall Street Beast
Amid plenty of uncertainty, investors are looking for strategies that will make them wealthy. But you should forget about the idea of getting rich quick and focus on diversity, according to Larry Light, author of the new book, Taming the Beast: Wall Street's Imperfect Answers to Making Money.
Earnings Season: Harbinger to Next Round of Layoffs?
Wall Street will watch second quarter earnings for telltale signs that the economy has slowed or that corporate margins are even tighter than is feared. But the ones reporting negative outlooks are likely to go back to the same old solution they used so often in recent years: layoffs.
Chick-fil-A's CEO on Rising Costs, Family Values
For its Cow Appreciation Day Friday, Chick-fil-A gave away free sandwiches to customers who come in wearing cow costumes. We talked with CEO Dan Cathy about a herd of other issues including rising food costs, industry trends, the economy and how his values affect the company's bottom line.
