Today investors find out if this is the quarter Amazon made money for its shareholders. Chances are, it probably isn’t. Amazon gets lots of attention on Wall Street even though profits aren’t the online retailer’s top priority.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has approved a rule that would require stockbrokers to disclose to their clients what are called “signing bonuses.” These are cash payouts, loans, and long-term incentives that brokerages offer the hottest financial advisers to poach them from competitors, and bring their richest clients along with them. Firms like Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, and Morgan Stanley all offer compensation that can go into the low millions.
The technology known as “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing has environmentalists deeply concerned with groundwater pollution. Then there’s the effect on global temperatures of burning the resulting fossil fuel. But is it possible that America’s new energy boom could bring factory jobs back from overseas?
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
