The Daily

Long dividend records are a quality filter masquerading as an income strategy. A company that has paid and raised its dividend through the 2001 recession, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2020 pandemic shock has proven something a yield screen cannot: the cash exists, and management is structurally committed to sharing it. Three exchange-traded funds turn that filter into portfolios worth owning before the next downturn arrives.

 » Read more about: Three Dividend ETFs Built to Survive Every Recession and Pay You Through It  »

Investors are increasingly hedging against downside risks in small-cap stocks, signalling a growing divide in the market even as enthusiasm for AI-driven large-cap names remains strong. Demand for protection in the Russell 2000 has picked up amid concerns over rising interest rates and elevated oil prices, which could disproportionately hurt smaller firms.

While optimism around artificial intelligence continues to support large-cap indexes like the S&P 500,

 » Read more about: US Stock Market Today | Dow Jones | Nasdaq Live: S&P 500 and Nasdaq open lower as chip stocks drag, inflation fears persist  »

Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) is trying to turn its database empire into a major AI infrastructure growth engine. Its Google Cloud partnership, AI database tools, and massive data center buildout could create meaningful upside, but the company still has to prove the spending can translate into stronger revenue, earnings, and free cash flow.

 » Read more about: Great News: Oracle Stock Could Be One of the Most Underrated AI Infrastructure Stocks  »

 » Read more about: This Unstoppable AI Stock Is Up 97% Since Warren Buffett Bought It, and There Could Be More Upside Ahead  »

 » Read more about: Here’s How Nancy Pelosi Beat the Stock Market and Warren Buffett  »

Dive Brief:

• Roughly three out of four U.S. adults (73%) said they are “doing okay financially” or “living comfortably” even as their view of the economy has dimmed, with 42% of survey respondents voicing concern about finding or keeping a job, the Federal Reserve said.

 » Read more about: Fed survey shows household view of US economy worsening  »

Among “The Magnificent Seven” stocks that have been buoying the Dow Jones Industrial Average to new heights—maintaining its status largely thanks to maturing software-as-a-service models and roughly 1.28 million active Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscribers—none of those companies’ founders eclipses their company’s product or service more than Tesla’s (NASDAQ: TSLA) Elon Musk.

 » Read more about: If You Invested $10,000 In Tesla 10 Years Ago, This Is How Rich You Would Be Today  »

A dispute over semiconductor workers’ bonuses in Korea could upend global technology supply chains and weigh on South Korea’s economy, as Samsung’s (016360.KS) labor union has threatened to go on strike on May 21 for 18 days.

On Sunday, Samsung and the union agreed to extend negotiations after the first round of government-mediated talks failed and a South Korean court granted a partial injunction that could compel workers to show up amid a strike,

 » Read more about: Tech stocks today: Chip stocks take a breather, potential 18-day Samsung strike looms  »

The U.S. stock market is giving back a bit more of its record-setting rally on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 fell 0.5 per cent and was on track for a third dip after setting its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 397 points, or 0.8 per cent, as of 9:35 a.m.

 » Read more about: U.S. tech stocks pull back, dragging indexes a bit further below their latest records  »

Homebuyers and owners looking to refinance are often encouraged to monitor the mortgage interest rate climate daily.

 » Read more about: What are today's mortgage interest rates: May 19, 2026?  »