For: May 19, 2025
>>Ahead Of The Bell
(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed higher on Friday to end a positive week. Stocks rose as investors looked beyond another drop in consumer sentiment and inflation worries. Technology shares posted strong gains with Nvidia up more than 15 percent as Apple, Microsoft and Meta Platforms all advanced. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 331 points to 42-654. The S&P 500 added 41 points to 59-58. The Nasdaq rose 98 points to 19-211.
>>Trump Tells Walmart To 'Eat The Tariffs'
(Washington, DC) -- President Trump is taking aim at Walmart after the retail giant warned last week that it will raise prices due to tariffs. Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Walmart should stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices," and went on to say they should "eat the tariffs." Walmart's CFO said this week that the retailer will try to work with suppliers to keep prices as low as they can.
>>Moody's Lowers U.S Credit Rating
(New York, NY) -- A major ratings agency is downgrading its credit rating of the U.S. Moody's Ratings has cut the U.S. credit rating down a notch to "Aa1" from the highest Triple-A, citing a massive budget deficit coupled with high interest rates. Moody's was the last to give the U.S. a perfect rating. The S&P and Fitch Ratings lowered their ratings years ago.
>>Consumer Sentiment Fell For 5th Straight Month In May
(Ann Arbor, MI) -- Consumer sentiment fell for the fifth straight month in May on growing inflation worries. The University of Michigan's preliminary reading for the month dropped to its second lowest level on record. The survey found consumers increasingly worried that tariffs will lead to higher inflation. Year-ahead inflation expectations rose to seven-point-three percent from six-point-five percent last month. The survey's chief economist noted "uncertainty over trade policy continues to dominate consumers' thinking about the economy."
>>Costco Rolls Out Buy Now, Pay Later Through Affirm
(Undated) -- Costco's new Affirm partnership will let shoppers pay for large online purchases with a buy now, pay later option. Costco members can now pay over time for eligible 500-dollar to over 17-thousand-dollar purchases they make on its website. Affirm said members using Affirm's service to pay are given options for payment plans after they do a quick, real-time eligibility check, during checkout. Plans range from three to 36 months with APR rates between ten and 36-percent depending on what's purchased. Meanwhile, Costco has also announced that it is limiting the amount of gold bars its members can buy. There's now a limit of one transaction per membership with a maximum of two units per 24 hours.
>>Meta Pushes To Have FTC Case Tossed
(Washington, DC) -- Meta is asking a federal judge to throw out the Federal Trade Commission's case against the social media giant. The FTC is accusing Facebook's parent company of an illegal social media monopoly by buying Instagram and WhatsApp to take out upstart rivals. However, Meta says the agency failed to prove its case at a high-stakes antitrust trial. If Meta's request is granted it would bring a quicker end to the case, but if the judge declines to throw out the case it would go to a second trial over the appropriate measures to address the monopoly.
>>'Final Destination' Tops Box Office
(Los Angeles, CA) -- "Final Destination: Bloodlines" has slaughtered the competition in its opening weekend. The Warner Brothers and New Line horror film brought in 51-million-dollars as of Sunday. Marvel's "Thunderbolts" was knocked down to number two in its third week grossing over 16-million-dollars for the weekend. Sinners has sunk its fangs into audiences in its fifth week yielding over 15-million this weekend. The other horror film out this week, The Weeknd's "Hurry Up Tomorrow" lost the blood bath taking sixth place and bringing in just over three-million-dollars.
