Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

The Dow dive computers might have caused

Feb 6, 2018
Algorithms don’t generally create steep declines, but they do amplify trends, one expert says.
Closing numbers are displayed at the New York Stock Exchange in 2018.
BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

GM aims to cut billons as it eyes driverless vehicle service

Feb 6, 2018
General Motors reports fourth-quarter earnings before the market opens today. Analysts are expecting an earnings increase for the big carmaker, which retook the lead from Tesla in market valuation last year. GM stock rallied 20 percent in 2017 as the company unveiled bold plans for driverless taxis. Click the above audio player to hear the […]

Let's not panic about the Dow just yet

Feb 5, 2018
Economic growth is strong, unemployment is low — there were no major global disasters that could trigger the Dow plunging more than 1,100 points today. So what happened?
Personnel sweep the floor after the closing bell of the Dow industrial average at the New York Stock Exchange today.
BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

What happened to the Dow today?

Feb 5, 2018
Let's break down today's wild ride in the stock market. Should you be concerned?
A trading board on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shows today's closing numbers.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

When companies choose not to go public, does that hurt the public?

Feb 5, 2018
Fewer companies are going public than did 20 years ago. How does that change the fortunes of all Americans?
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

TD Ameritrade offers individual investors 24-hour weekday trading

Jan 23, 2018
TD Ameritrade has started to offer individual investors around-the-clock weekday trading for some popular funds. The company said one driver for the change is Asian clients who want to trade U.S. stocks during their daytime hours. The company also wants to satisfy U.S. clients who want to trade in off hours. Analysts point out that […]

Why the Dow breaking 26,000 points is making some analysts nervous

Jan 16, 2018
While the markets closed today with a slight loss, they opened at a high point. This morning, the Dow broke 26,000 points for the first time in its 120 year history — and that’s after a year with practically no dips to speak of. But that lack of volatility has some market watchers a little […]

For public good, not for profit.

Oil prices start the year on a high note

Jan 2, 2018
It’s the highest first-of-the-year price for oil since 2014. But the companies producing crude are taking a more cautious view of things than the investors and lenders who back their efforts. From unrest in Iran to uncertainty about the new tax code, oil could face a profitable but turbulent year. Click the audio player above […]

U.S. government shutdown a possibility if Congress can’t compromise on contentious issues

Jan 2, 2018
Congress has to pass legislation to fund the government by Jan. 19. Otherwise, there will be a partial government shutdown.  And some policy analysts believe there’s a good chance a partial shutdown is coming.  That’s because Democrats and Republicans are far apart on issues like immigration, and the ratio of defense and non-defense spending. They […]

Why the bond market is trading on the tax bill

Dec 20, 2017
Today, Republicans celebrated the passage of their tax bill. Some predicted that the stock market would soar on the news. But it’s the bond market that has had the most interesting reaction to the bill’s passage. Here’s why.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story.