Bond auctions are a bigger deal than usual this week. The first went the way of the bulls

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. (We’re no longer recording the audio, so we can get this new written feature to members as quickly as possible.) Markets up: The S & P … Read more

Remote workers get up to 30% pay increase for switching to in-office jobs, says new research

Getting people back to the office comes with a steep price tag — and those willing to swap their remote job for working in an office full-time could see the biggest change in their paychecks. Salaries for fully in-office roles are climbing in the United States. Companies are offering an average $82,037 for in-person roles, … Read more

Why Capital One is buying Discover in the biggest merger yet of 2024

Capital One CEO and Chairman, Richard Fairbank. Marvin Joseph| The Washington Post | Getty Images Capital One’s recently announced $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Financial isn’t just about getting bigger — gaining “scale” in Wall Street-speak — it’s a bid to protect itself against a rising tide of fintech and regulatory threats. It’s a chess … Read more

Capital One acquiring Discover Financial Services, report says

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Capital One Financial is set to acquire Discover Financial Services, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The deal could be announced Tuesday, the outlet said, citing sources. It will be an all-stock deal and Capital One, which already uses Visa and Mastercard networks, plans to … Read more

China’s central bank encourages local businesses to accept foreign payment cards

A coffee shop at Beijing Capital Airport shows customers can use Visa, Mastercard, the digital Chinese yuan and other payment methods. CNBC | Evelyn Cheng BEIJING — China is encouraging banks and local businesses to accept foreign bank cards and is considering other steps to make mobile pay for international visitors even easier, said Zhang … Read more

Mastercard launches GPT-like AI model to help banks detect fraud

BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 01: A view of the MasterCard company logo on their stand during the Mobile World Congress on March 1, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images) Joan Cros Garcia – Corbis | Corbis News | Getty Images Payments giant Mastercard says it has built its own … Read more

World’s largest hedge funds record bumper year of profits

Signage for Citadel Investment Group LLC hangs outside their office in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Bloomberg | Getty Images The world’s top hedge funds raked in record profits last year amid a resurgence in stock markets, new analysis showed. The 20 leading fund managers made $67 billion in investor profits in 2023, up from the $65 … Read more

EU laws approved but US is top cop

A flag outside the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington, Feb. 23, 2022. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images Regulators around the world from Europe to Asia ramped up efforts to bring about formal laws for digital currencies in 2023 — but it was the U.S. that took some of the harshest … Read more

Last-minute holiday shoppers face fraud risks. These 5 tips can help

Betsie Van der Meer | Getty If you’re a last-minute holiday shopper still checking off the remaining gifts on your list, beware: You could be putting yourself at risk for fraud. “Procrastination is, quite frankly, one of the keys to success for crooks,” Paul Fabara, chief risk officer at Visa, recently told CNBC. “They assume that … Read more