The latest round of student protests in France began with a relatively straightforward demand: better funding for schools. But like many things that start small and focused, the demonstrations quickly evolved into something much bigger. What began as concerns about poor school conditions have expanded into broader frustration over the rising cost of living and the financial pressures facing households across the country.

Election noise can distort market signals. Jim Lydotes looks beyond the headlines at consumers, AI infrastructure, and defense demand.

Last week, investors took a closer look at the AI spending boom and decided they needed better answers than “trust me, it’ll pay off.” Was it Jane Wickline’s wicked turn as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei on SNL Weekend Update? (“I urge you to urge me to stop.”) Who can say. What we do know is that investors spent the next week questioning the gap between AI’s long-term promise and its near-term price tag.

The recent selloff has brought back the key question: Can revenue grow fast enough to support all this spending?

Last week, America eased into October as Wall Street eased into earnings season. Both tend to start on an optimistic note; what happens after that depends on whether reality decides to cooperate.

With the third quarter behind us, earnings season is back underway, which means investors are once again preparing for that special annual tradition: corporate executives explaining why everything is somehow both fantastic and concerning at the same time.

Utilities may be a fat pitch, policy curveballs may miss banks, and markets are differentiating the contenders of AI adoption.

Why do some retirement messages stick while others don't? A different way to think about participant decisions.

Last week, America considered cutting back, then remembered pumpkin spice is only available for a limited time. Economic uncertainty, on the other hand, seems willing to work around your schedule. The latest reports showed consumers spending more money while feeling worse about the outlook, which makes sense if you’ve ever decided to start budgeting immediately after one small purchase.

Strong growth, resilient hiring, and steady consumer demand suggested the economy may have ordered the largest size after all.