Still No Good News for Europe on the Macro Front: Taking Stock

For us, the question is whether the heterogeneous economic environment in the euro-zone will continue in this way and if we will have a longer phase of very low growth ahead of us,” says Deka portfolio manager Uwe Maderer. This brings the issue of Italy's debt sustainability into focus -- and that makes markets nervous. For BofAML analysts, the 2018-2019 growth weakness will be temporary and will follow a similar pattern to 2015-2016, with demand stimulated by China.

Losing a job in your 50s is especially tough. Here are 3 steps to take when layoffs happen

This is one of the many reasons why I believe our 50s can be the most challenging decade of our lives. Assuming you can clear the mental challenges, the financial and administrative obstacles can leave you feeling like a Rube Goldberg machine. Income, health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, bills, expenses, short-term savings and retirement savings are all immediately important in the face of a job loss.

CAPE Fear: The Bulls Are Wrong. Shiller's Measure Is the Real Deal

For the past half-decade, a controversial yardstick called the CAPE has been flashing red, warning that stock prices are extremely rich, and vulnerable to a sharp correction. And over the same period, the Wall Street bulls and a number of academics led by Jeremy Siegel of the Wharton School, have been claiming that CAPE is a kind of fun house mirror that makes reasonable valuations appear grotesquely stretched. CAPE, an acronym “Cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio,” was developed by economist Robert Shiller of Yale to correct for a flaw in judging where stock prices stand on the continuum from dirt cheap to highly expensive based on the current P/E ratio.

IRS refund frenzy: Democrats blast Trump Treasury for 'goosing' paychecks

While some Americans are frustrated with the size of their refunds this tax season, a number of Democratic lawmakers are using the opportunity to criticize the Trump administration's tax law. A group of about 40 Democratic senators sent a letter to the administration on Friday, calling for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to waive penalties on taxpayers that had their payments underwithheld this year as a result of the tax reform law and the adjusted withholding tables. “It looks like the Trump Treasury Department spent 2018, an election year, goosing people's paychecks by under-withholding, and it should have been obvious that the bill would come due eventually,” Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement.

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  Americans Plan to Use Their Tax Refunds Responsibly This Year -- That Is, if They Get One

  Motley Fool
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  These New Exemptions Can Get You Your Biggest Refund This Tax Season

  Refinery29

Berkshire Hathaway's Munger on buybacks and Apple shares

CNBC's Becky Quick reports from the Daily Journal Annual Meeting on Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger's comments on the company's buybacks.

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  Suncor Energy Attracts Option Bulls Amid Buffett Boost

  Schaeffer's Investment Research
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  Buffett's Berkshire dumps Oracle, trims Apple holdings by 1%

  Yahoo Finance Video

Berkshire Trims Apple, Sells Oracle and Buys Big Banks

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B), the conglomerate run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, sold some of its giant stake in Apple Inc. (AAPL), called it quits on Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and used some of its freed-up capital to top up on bank stocks in the last three months of 2018. Berkshire also boosted its stake in regional lenders, including PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (PNC) and US Bancorp (USB). Share price across the industry have been lifted by speculation that the recent merger between SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI) and BB&T Corp. (BBT) could pave the way for more deals, reported Bloomberg.

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  Here's What Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Bought and Sold in the Fourth Quarter

  Motley Fool
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  Big hedge funds dumped China stocks, Apple as market tumbled

  Reuters

These New Exemptions Can Get You Your Biggest Refund This Tax Season

Whether you're planning to do your taxes online or work with an accountant, it helps to know which deductions and exemptions you are entitled to, so you have a rough idea of how big of a refund you might get — or how much you could owe to Uncle Sam. So we spoke to Brittany Turner, CPA, the founder of Countless, a New York City–based accounting firm for creatives. Brittany compiled a list of ten tax credits and deductions to be aware of while heading into tax season this year.

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  Americans Plan to Use Their Tax Refunds Responsibly This Year -- That Is, if They Get One

  Motley Fool
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  It's Not Stupid to Want a Big Tax Refund

  Bloomberg

Options Traders Expect Huge Moves in DISH Network (DISH) Stock

Investors in DISH Network Corporation DISH need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. What is Implied Volatility? Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other.

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  What Kind Of Share Price Volatility Should You Expect For Cerved Group S.p.A. (BIT:CERV)?

  Simply Wall St.
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  Is the Options Market Predicting a Spike in Denbury Resources (DNR) Stock?

  Zacks

Nvidia Jumps on Sales Forecast Projecting Rebound in Demand

The chipmaker also forecast a 20 percent decline in the current quarter, suggesting Nvidia sees a big boost in sales coming later in the year. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang is trying to convince investors that the stall in the company's revenue is a short-lived trend and that the broader use of graphics chips in everything from cars to data centers will restore growth that has doubled the size of his company since 2016. “The first quarter marks the bottom for our gaming business and we look forward to moving forward,” Huang said in an interview.

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  NVIDIA's Q4 Report: 24% Lower Sales, Earnings Cut in Half

  Motley Fool
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  Nvidia Earnings: NVDA Stock Soars on Strong Q4 EPS, Revenue

  InvestorPlace

China's market is like a 'Black Friday' sale now: Investor

Eric Moffett of T. Rowe Price says a lot of babies have been thrown out with the bathwater in China's stock market and some "fantastic" companies are trading at "fire-sale valuations."

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  Euphoric Dow Plows to 365 Point Gain after Trump Talks up China Trade Deal

  CCN
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  U.S. trade envoys to meet China's Xi, no decision on deadline extension

  Reuters

Analyst: Boeing could impose a royalty on engine suppliers for new 797 jet

Boeing has asked potential future engine suppliers of its New Mid-market Airplane (NMA) to pay a royalty if they're involved in the jet program, a top aerospace analyst said this week at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance conference. Kevin Michaels, the managing director at the consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said no Boeing insiders told him of the plan, but he's hearing about it from clients, including aerospace parts makers throughout the supply chain. quot;How (engine suppliers) feel about it is that they think it's Armageddon," Michaels said.

How to Convert a Non-Deductible IRA Into a Roth IRA

Undoubtedly, the Roth IRA has some strong advantages over the traditional IRA: The Roth offers tax-free withdrawal of contributions and earnings upon you reaching retirement age, and it has no required minimum distribution (RMD) when you hit age 70½. At one point, there were restrictions on conversions, but in 2010 Congress eliminated the $100,000 income limit on Roth IRA conversions. This allows traditional IRA owners in all tax brackets to convert their accounts.

• Nearing Retirement? 4 Ways To Prepare For Taxes

  Benzinga
• Ask a Fool: Can I Use My IRA to Help My Child Buy a Home?

  Motley Fool

Retirement Account: Pros and Cons of Naming a Trust as a Beneficiary

Qualified retirement savings accounts are a great way to build a retirement nest egg. In the financial community, this has been a topic of an ongoing debate between estate planning attorneys and financial advisors. Since qualified retirement plans such as a 401(k) or 403(b), an IRA or a Roth IRA pass by way of contract directly to a named beneficiary, the often lengthy probate process, attorneys' fees and other costs associated with wills and settling estates are avoided.

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  How to Convert a Non-Deductible IRA Into a Roth IRA

  Investopedia
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  How to Save for Retirement in Every Decade of Your Life

  Men's Health

Gundlach: My marginal tax rate is 52.6%, and it's 'really weird' that people like Mitt Romney pay 14%

Famed bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach thinks there are other solutions to narrow a yawning income inequality gap than a 70% marginal tax rate.

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  Jeffrey Gundlach talks millennials, national debt, and the race for 2020

  Yahoo Finance Video
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  Jeffrey Gundlach: Facebook is a 'diabolical data collection monster'

  Yahoo Finance Video

I'm 33, Make $135k & Finally Paid Off My Student Loans

In our series My 6-Figure Paycheck , women making more than $100,000 open up about how they got there and what exactly they do. We take a closer look at what it feels like to be a woman making six-figures — when only 5% of American women make that much, according to the U.S. Census — w ith the hope it will give women insight into how to better navigate their own career and salary trajectories. Today, we chat with a senior marketing manager in fashion from San Francisco, CA.

Deere Earnings: DE Stock Dips on Q1 Miss

This is an increase over its earnings per share of $1.35 from the same time in 2018. Net income reported in the Deere earnings release for its fiscal first quarter of 2019 comes in at $498 million. Deere earnings for its fiscal first quarter of the year also includes operating income of $769 million.

• Manchester United: Fiscal 2Q Earnings Snapshot

  Associated Press
• Apollo Commerical Finance: 4Q Earnings Snapshot

  Associated Press

Charlie Munger targets active managers, Elon Musk; praises China

Charlie Munger, the longtime business partner of Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway Inc, on Thursday criticized active fund managers, bankers and even Elon Musk as he urged investors to court simplicity and temper expectations for future returns. Munger, 95, often provoked laughter as he fielded questions at the annual meeting of Daily Journal Corp, the Los Angeles newspaper publishing company he chairs, though he is better known for his four decades as a Berkshire vice chairman. Berkshire now owns more than 90 businesses in the insurance, energy, railroad and other sectors, along with dozens of stocks.

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  Here's What Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway Bought and Sold in the Fourth Quarter

  Motley Fool
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  Big hedge funds dumped China stocks, Apple as market tumbled

  Reuters

Musk-Like or Not, This 36-Year-Old CEO Has Amazon Riding Shotgun

Of course Scaringe, now 36, didn't have a truck to show then. What he did have was something in common with Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, the chairman of a Saudi auto distributor who, like Scaringe, also attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Scaringe showed up recommended by MIT contacts, and playing the alumni card worked. “It was a seminal point,” Scaringe said in an interview.

How to Make Your Retirement Savings Last Forever

With life expectancy and inflation rates rising, Americans are increasingly delaying retirement as they fear their nest egg running out. Well, you could always plan for a shorter retirement, simply because it would be easier to manage costs over a shorter time frame. You could also take up a part-time job during retirement, and make small investments from any accumulated wealth to ensure a steady source of income.

Amazon Leads $700 Million Bet on Electric Truck Maker Rivian

The backing from Amazon will bolster Michigan-based Rivian's plans to bring an electric truck to market late next year. Rivian remains in talks with General Motors Co. about the largest U.S. automaker also making an investment, people familiar with the matter said. Chief Executive Officer R.J. Scaringe said in his first interview since reports of Rivian's talks with Amazon and GM surfaced earlier this week that he was seeking companies that could help the electric-vehicle maker grow.

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  Electric truck start-up Rivian announces $700 million investment round led by Amazon

  CNBC
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  Amazon places big bet on aspiring Tesla rival Rivian

  Reuters

Amazon has a big problem now that it has scrapped plans for a New York City headquarters

To support its ambitious future of signing up more corporate clients for its Amazon Web Services and offering Prime members same-day delivery, Amazon will need more high-skilled tech workers than ever before. Unfortunately, those well-paid workers will not come from New York City, at least right now. The internet and cloud services beast said Thursday it will pull out of its New York City development project after significant outcry from locals and various other parties fearing big rent hikes and epic wage inflation.

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  Newsflash: Amazon Trashes Plans for NYC Headquarters, Caves to Pressure from Ocasio-Cortez

  CCN
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  Amazon cancels plans to build second headquarters in New York after local protests

  The Independent