The Daily Editor

A new warning from budget experts says millions of future retirees could face steep Social Security benefit cuts, amounting to roughly $18,000 a year for some households if Congress fails to act before the program’s retirement trust fund runs out of money.

The Social Security Old‑Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund is less than seven years from insolvency,

 » Read more about: Social Security Warning Issued Over $18,000 Benefit Cut  »

US stocks opened sharply higher on Wednesday, buoyed by reports that Washington has put forward a peace proposal to Iran, raising hopes of a potential de-escalation in the ongoing conflict and sending oil prices lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged over 500 points, or about 1.1%, while the S&P 500 gained around 1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced roughly 1.2% in early trade.

 » Read more about: Dow Jones jumps 500 points, oil dips on hopes of US-Iran ceasefire  »

The S&P 500 is off to a rocky start to 2026, having declined by over 7% from its January peak. Investors are trimming their exposure to stocks and other risk assets amid rising economic uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have muddied the earnings outlook for corporate America.

But throughout history,

 » Read more about: Stock Market Sell-Off: 2 Glorious Growth Stocks to Buy on the Dip, According to Wall Street  »

 » Read more about: Circle Selloff 'Looks Overdone' Analysts Say as Shares Rise After Cathie Wood Buys the Dip  »

Key Points

• Meta Platforms has outlined an ambitious incentive package for executives.

• The highest tier of the plan would pay billions of dollars to executives, but only if the stock meets aggressive growth goals.

• Meta’s stock price has been flat over the past year,

 » Read more about: Meta Platforms Just Unveiled Ambitious Plans to Grow Its Stock Price by 500% Over Five Years  »

 » Read more about: Recession odds climb on Wall Street as economy shows cracks beneath the surface  »

Quick Read

• ONEOK received an Overweight upgrade from Wells Fargo with a $100 price target (from $81), while Jefferies upgraded the midstream operator to Buy with a $98 target,

 » Read more about: Wall Street Raises ONEOK Price Target to $100  »

The risk of a recession in the United States is rising as persistently high oil prices amid the Middle East conflict threaten economic growth, Wall Street analysts say.

“Downside risks have increased materially,” EY-Parthenon chief economist Gregory Daco said in a note earlier this week.

“Against this backdrop,

 » Read more about: Wall Street analysts say recession odds are rising as oil prices remain volatile: 'Risks have increased materially'  »

Some of America’s wealthiest couples are collecting $100,000 in Social Security benefits — a six-figure payout that a new proposal says should be capped to help the retirement program avoid insolvency in 2032.

About 1 million individual Social Security beneficiaries receive at least $50,000 in annual payments, or more than $100,000 for a retired couple,

 » Read more about: Rich couples are collecting over $100,000 in Social Security. A new proposal would cap that.  »

The industrial sector is full of boring businesses, but it’s actually an exciting time to be an investor here. New, potentially massive opportunities are emerging in space and robotics as technological advancements push the world into new frontiers.

Tesla (TSLA +1.06%) has long been a beacon of industrial innovation.

 » Read more about: Better Industrial Stock: Tesla vs. Rocket Lab  »