>>Watching Wall Street
(New York, NY) -- Investors welcome a fresh trading week after stocks closed higher on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped back above 40-thousand for a near record finish. Stocks rallied on renewed optimism that slowing inflation will trigger a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. All three major indexes posted gains for the week in a broad-based rally. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 247 points to 40-000. The S&P 500 rose 30 points to 56-15. The Nasdaq climbed 115 points to 18-398.
>>Target To Stop Accepting Personal Checks
(Undated) -- Target shoppers are free to bring cash, credit or debit cards but you can leave your checkbooks at home. As of today, the retailer will no longer accept personal checks as payment for purchases. It says few shoppers still pay by check, and eliminating the payments will speed up checkout. In addition to cash and plastic, Target shoppers can use digital wallet services like Apple Pay and buy now/pay later services.
>>Prime Day Starts Tuesday
(Seattle, WA) -- Prime Day 2024 starts Tuesday and runs through Wednesday. The two-day Amazon Prime sales event promises to see numerous deals offered by the retail giant. An Amazon Prime membership is required to participate.
>>Poll: Most Americans Say Inflation Is "Very Serious Problem"
(Undated) -- The majority of Americans say inflation is a "very serious problem." That's according to a recent YouGov poll, which found that voters are more likely to approve of Donald Trump's handling of the issue rather than President Biden's. The survey also found that for Democrats, the most serious issues that the country faces are gun violence and climate change. Republicans ranked inflation and illegal immigration as the top concerns.
>>Ahead In The Business Week
(Undated) -- Coming up in the business week ahead, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell kicks things off with remarks at the Economic Club of Washington today. Tuesday brings data on retail sales along with the home builder confidence index. Housing starts and building permits follow on Wednesday along with the Fed Beige Book - the central bank's latest temperature check on the health of the economy. Weekly jobless claims are due Thursday, with an uptick of at least a few thousand expected. There are no notable reports on the calendar Friday as the week comes to a close.
>>Elon Musk Endorses Trump On Same Day As Assassination Attempt
(Undated) -- Elon Musk is endorsing former President Donald Trump. The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX made it official Saturday, not long after Trump was the victim of an apparent assassination attempt. The former president was speaking during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania when a gunman opened fire, a bullet grazing Trump's ear. A rally-goer was killed and two others critically injured. Musk took to X to say "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery." In a follow-up post, he said "Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt."
