Among thousands of public companies tracked, about 19% of dividend-payout announcements during the quarter have been for reductions, rather than for increases or no change. That would be the highest proportion since the second quarter of 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic slammed into the global economy.
Median household income topped the peak hit just before the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching $87,460 in 2025, up 2.6% from 2024 after adjusting for inflation. Upper-income households posted gains while lower-income households did not.
Florida-based EverBank Financial has reached a deal to pursue a reverse merger with a smaller bank in the Pacific Northwest, WaFd, the companies said. The deal would create a regional bank with some $75 billion in assets.
U.S. Treasury yields hit 4.8%, the highest of President Trump’s presidency, this week. Yields have also risen in Japan, where the 10-year yield hit 3% for the first time in 30 years, and just as much in Europe. France’s 10-year yield, at 4.21%, is up 0.65 percentage points this year. Britain’s, at 5.15%, is up 0.67 points.
S&P 500 per-share earnings rose 53% and sales grew nearly 16% in the second quarter, driven by consumer spending and tariff refunds.
The U.S. IPO market is on track for a record year, with traditional offerings raising $137 billion so far this year.
Vanguard Group has struck a roughly $4 billion deal to acquire fintech platform Altruist. Vanguard plans to keep Altruist as a stand-alone business, retaining its current leadership and brand.
Banks typically hold only 8 cents worth of T-bills per dollar of assets, while a $1 stablecoin is typically backed by almost 80 cents worth of T-bills.
At the end of 2025, traditional IRAs held about $15 trillion while Roth IRAs held about $2 trillion.
