Many investors are caught off guard when they sell shares and later discover they are not entitled to an expected dividend payment. The confusion often stems from a misunderstanding of how dividend ex-dates and record dates actually work in practice. To receive a dividend, an investor must hold shares on or before the ex-dividend date,…

Crude oil prices have retreated sharply following a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, but American drivers are finding little relief at the gas station. National gasoline prices remain elevated, averaging $3.90 per gallon, nearly a dollar higher than prices recorded in late February. The disconnect between falling crude prices and stubbornly high retail gasoline prices has…

BlackRock’s iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) and Vanguard’s FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) have quietly become very different investment products. For more than a decade, investors treated these two funds as nearly interchangeable, but a long-running index classification dispute has produced a record performance gap. The divergence comes down to one country: South…

SpaceX’s growing presence in the wireless industry has rattled investors, but analysts suggest the actual competitive threat to major carriers remains distant and overstated. The core of SpaceX’s wireless strategy hinges on securing a mobile virtual network operator deal, a path that faces significant resistance from the industry’s dominant players. AT&T (T), T-Mobile (TMUS), and…

The $40 trillion Treasury market is flashing warning signs that equity investors may be dangerously unprepared for a continued surge in long-term yields. The 30-year Treasury yield has now logged 11 consecutive sessions above 5%, its longest such stretch since May, reflecting a sustained and punishing selloff in government bonds. The 30-year yield climbed to…