Tankers at the refinery near Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Dec. 30, 2021. Shipping and oil market experts said the U.S. military’s seizure of an oil tanker in the Caribbean was unlikely to significantly disrupt a broader network of vessels that move oil from Russia, Iran and Venezuela in violation of sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries. (Adriana Loureiro Fernandez/The New York Times) By REBECCA F. ELLIOTT and PETER EAVIS The United States’ seizure of a tanker

U.S. investors ‌bought ​equity funds for ‌the first time in three weeks ​in the week through December 10 in anticipation ‍of a policy rate ​cut by the Federal Reserve on ​Wednesday. They ⁠purchased a net $3.3 billion worth of U.S. equity funds during the week, closely reversing a net $3.52 billion outflow the prior week, LSEG Lipper data ‌showed. Investors, however, remained concerned over a slower pace ​of ‌profitability for artificial intelligence ‍companies ⁠as earnings gu

Major stock indexes mostly rose on Thursday, with the ‌Dow ​and S&P 500 posting record closing highs even as ‌technology-related shares fell following disappointing forecasts from Oracle, while the dollar and U.S. bond yields declined. The Nasdaq ended lower, while ​the Dow and S&P 500 added to gains from the day before, when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates but gave a less hawkish outlook than expected. A global stock index was ‍also higher. Cloud computing giant Oracl

Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, speaks at a press conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington on July 30, 2025. The central bank is poised to lower interest rates on Wednesday even as a growing chorus of officials urge caution. (Caroline Gutman/The New York Times) By COLBY SMITH The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday in a highly contentious decision. The split among policymakers suggested

President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the economy at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Penn., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. The speech was expected to be the first of a series of speeches that the White House hopes will address American concerns about affordability, a problem he dismissed a week ago as “the greatest con job” designed by Democrats. (Doug Mills/The New York Times) By DAVID E. SANGER President Donald Trump on Tuesday night gave the first of a series

Wall Street’s main ‌indexes ​were mixed on Wednesday, ahead of a ‌closely watched Federal Reserve decision widely expected to deliver a rate cut, while investors grew ​uncertain over the extent and pace of rate reductions in 2026. The central bank’s ongoing meeting is likely one of its most divisive in ‍years, as policymakers seek a delicate balance ​between reducing borrowing costs to support the labor market and curbing any reacceleration of inflation. A prolonged absence o

The American Yacht Harbor club on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Feb. 2, 2020. The American Yacht Harbor sits just a few miles north of the private island in St. Thomas that was the grim epicenter of Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking operation. (Gabriella N. Baéz/The New York Times) By DEBRA KAMIN Few people wield more power in New York City real estate than Andrew Farkas. In the last few years, Farkas’ company has acquired the Sheraton Times Square, the third-largest hot

Wall Street stocks ended mixed on Tuesday after U.S. consumer price data for January offered little to change expectations about the Federal Reserve’s path forward on interest rate hikes. U.S. consumer prices accelerated as Americans continued to be burdened by higher rental housing costs, suggesting that the Fed will maintain its fight against inflation. “Inflation remains elevated, albeit it appears to be slowing,” said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank We