Sinopec Boosts Spending to 2014 High, Refining Profit Sinks

Spending was 118 billion yuan in 2018, above the 117 billion yuan estimated by Sinopec. Sinopec has focused its upstream efforts in recent years on expanding natural gas output. Get MoreFull-year net income rose to 61.6 billion yuan from 51.2 billion a year ago, the company known officially as China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. said.

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Drop as Global Growth Concerns Hit Asia

Futures contracts on the S&P 500 Index slumped 0.5 percent as of 9:54 a.m. in Tokyo after a big decline in the underlying gauge on Friday, a casualty of a flattening yield curve and concerns that the global economy was slowing down. Investor sentiment was already hit heading into the last week of the quarter after U.S. stocks fell the most since Jan. 3 on Friday amid more signs the global economy is slowing.

• 
  Trump: 'It was a complete and total exoneration'

  Associated Press Videos
• 
  Tom Fitton: The collusion story has collapsed

  FOX News Videos

The 10 Rules That Made Warren Buffett a Billionaire

Warren Buffett may be worth tens of billions, but he still lives simply, and his strategies for investing and amassing wealth aren't too complicated either. Buffett's first key to prosperity has little to do with picking stocks. "Without good communication skills, you won't be able to convince people to follow you even though you see over the mountain and they don't," Buffett once told a Stanford MBA student.

When To Sell Stocks: Big Break Below 50-Day Line Can Mark End Of A Huge Run

By and large, it's institutional selling — when fund managers decide to liquidate large positions and take profits after a big price run. So after a stock's lengthy run-up, it's always important to watch for signs of heavy institutional selling. When To Sell Stocks: Utilize This Stock Chart Tool For a market leader, the 50-day moving average, which computes a running average of price closes over the past 50 trading sessions, can act as a support level during an uptrend.

Here's what smart rich people really do with their nest egg

Most people think they're above average in intelligence, relationship status and professional achievement. Social scientists call this “illusory superiority.” My business partner Scott Puritz, has found the one area where even above-average people, objectively smart, rich, successful professionals, seem to wave the white flag and admit to not understanding — money and investing. “One of the most shocking things is the low-level financial literacy throughout our culture,” Puritz told the Washington Post.

Bitcoin miner builds electrical transformer in rented space, lawsuit follows

Disclaimer: These summaries are provided for educational purposes only by Nelson Rosario and Stephen Palley. As always, Rosario summaries are “NMR” and Palley summaries are “SDP". Surprisingly, one area of law that we have not talked about at Crypto Caselaw Minute concerns landlord tenant issues.

• 
  5 Crypto Myths That Could Be Costing You a Fortune

  InvestorPlace
• 
  France Won't Launch Cryptocurrency Anytime Soon: PwC Blockchain Exec

  CCN

After Hours Trading: Here's What It Is And Why It Can Help You In The Stock Market

After Hours Trading: Here's What It Is And Why It Can Help You In The Stock Market

Watch out for these 10 'retirement killers'

A recent study has revealed for the first time the 10 biggest causes of financial regret among those who have retired or are near to retirement. The information may help those who are currently working and saving, by giving them more ability to plan their finances and prepare. A survey of “Saving Regret” targeted 1,600 Americans aged 60 to 79 to ask them about whether they had saved enough money — and if not, why not.

• 
  The Secret Threat to Your Retirement You Need to Know About

  Motley Fool
• 
  Here's How Much Money You Should Have Saved for Retirement

  Motley Fool

Oil prices fall as markets brace for potential U.S. recession

Oil prices dropped on Monday as concerns of a sharp economic slowdown outweighed supply disruptions from OPEC's production cutbacks and U.S. sanctions on Iran and Venezuela. Brent crude oil futures were at $66.52 per barrel at 0102 GMT, down 51 cents, or 0.8 percent, from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were at $58.42 per barrel, down 63 cents, or 1.1 percent, from their last settlement.

These people left their jobs behind to retire early — then life got in the way. Here's how they coped with FIRE plans gone wrong

Before “retirement,” many members of the FIRE movement are working full time jobs — often lucrative ones — but they leave all that behind in order to live off their savings for decades. And it doesn't always work out that way. Mr. Money Mustache is largely credited with popularizing the idea of “early retirement” and encouraging others to spend less in order to work less, too.

Technical Analysis: Why You Should Focus On Top Stocks From Leading Industry Groups

Technical Analysis: Why You Should Focus On Top Stocks From Leading Industry Groups

Why the British Pound Is Stronger Than the U.S. Dollar

From 2012 through 2018, the British pound (GBR) has been worth $1.35 to $1.75 in U.S. dollars (USD). Some confusion exists as to why the British pound is consistently stronger than the U.S. dollar despite the United States having a stronger and more powerful economy than Great Britain or the United Kingdom. The simplest explanation is that the nominal value of a country's currency and its economic strength have little to nothing to do with one another.

What Is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and How Does It Work?

Employees under FERS receive retirement benefits from three sources: the basic benefit plan, Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP. Basic Benefit Plan The basic benefit plan is a pension in which the employee receives a set amount, regardless of the amount he or she has contributed. The amount depends on length of service and “high-3” average.

Is Snap Stock Headed for $20?

I have to wonder about their decision to put the photos on Instagram — one of the social media apps that could put Snap out of business, ultimately sending SNAP investors scrambling to buy FB stock, if they already haven't,” I wrote. However, I have to give him credit for risking it all in the short-term for an app redesign that would deliver consistent revenue and profit growth in the long-term. It's not easy to take that kind of risk when the entire world is telling you that you're making a huge mistake.

Why You Should Sell Aurora Cannabis Stock Before It Reaches New Highs

However, this move higher has occurred despite Aurora making no moves into the U.S. hemp market. Moreover, ACB stock trades close to levels it saw before it started falling in October, portending a possible double top in the equity. Considering the stock price and other factors, investors should probably avoid Aurora Cannabis stock at these levels.

• 
  Better Buy: Aurora Cannabis vs. Constellation Brands

  Motley Fool
• 
  Cannabis stocks are a sea of red as investors take a break after strong gains

  MarketWatch

Stock Sell-Off Roils Asia, Yields Slide Further: Markets Wrap

Australia's 10-year bond yield recorded an all-time low and Japan's hit the lowest since September 2016, when the Bank of Japan overhauled policy to focus less on asset purchases. A closely watched gauge of Treasuries has inverted for the first time since 2007, combining with poor European PMI readings on Friday to deepen recession worries. The global equity recovery that took benchmarks to a five-month high is now showing signs of cracking amid weakening data and a pivot by global central banks away from monetary normalization -- which itself reflects concerns about the outlook.

• Jim Cramer: There Are More Negatives in Play in This Market Than the Yield Curve

  TheStreet.com
• The yield curve inverted — here are 5 things investors need to know

  MarketWatch

Is It Safe to Buy Biogen Stock Right Now?

On Thursday, shares of Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) were hammered, falling more than 29% in just one session. Biogen stock was again under pressure on Friday, falling almost 3% on the day. On Thursday morning, Biogen announced that it and development partner Eisai would terminate two stage 3 clinical trials for their Alzheimer's treatment, aducanumab.

iQIYI Stock Is on a Tear, But Don't Rush to Buy It

Since the start of the year, China's iQIYI (NASDAQ:IQ) stock has been on a tear.  A  Chinese internet vide company, iQIYI was spun off from Chinese search engine  Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU). IQ stock, which sold for under $15 at the start of January, was trading for $26 this afternoon.