Money

US economy grows 4.3% in Q3, exceeding forecasts

US economy grows 4.3% in Q3 2025, surpassing forecasts despite inflation and shutdown challenges

Published

4 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Harvey Vargas

US economy grows 4.3% in Q3 2025, surpassing forecasts despite inflation and shutdown challenges

In Short:
– The US economy grew by 4.3 percent in Q3 2025, exceeding forecasts and showing consumer resilience.
– Consumer spending rose by 3.5 percent, with increases in healthcare and recreational goods driving growth.

The US economy grew at a robust annual rate of 4.3% in Q3 2025, exceeding forecasts and marking its strongest quarterly expansion in two years. This growth comes despite lingering inflation concerns and political instability, showing that American consumers are continuing to spend and drive economic momentum.

Consumer spending, which accounts for roughly 70% of the economy, jumped 3.5% in the quarter, up from 2.5% previously. Much of this increase was fueled by healthcare expenditures, including hospital and outpatient services, along with purchases of recreational goods and vehicles. Exports surged 8.8%, while imports fell 4.7%, giving net economic activity a boost, and government spending bounced back 2.2% after a slight decline in Q2.

Remains optimistic

Despite the strong growth, inflation remains in focus. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 2.8%, up from 2.1%, with core PCE also climbing. Economists are closely watching the job market and tariff-related pressures. Meanwhile, the recent federal “Schumer shutdown” is expected to slow Q4 growth, potentially trimming GDP by 1 to 2 percentage points. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, remains optimistic that 2025 will still reach a 3% growth rate.

The Q3 numbers are also influencing expectations for the Federal Reserve. Analysts now see an 85% probability that interest rates will remain stable at the January 2026 meeting. Steady rates could provide a measure of certainty for investors, businesses, and consumers alike as they make decisions heading into 2026. Overall, the data paints a picture of a resilient US economy navigating both challenges and opportunities.

Money

New Zealand experiences unexpected economic growth surge

New Zealand economy sees 1.1% growth in third quarter, surpassing forecasts and signalling broad recovery after earlier contraction

Published

4 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Harvey Vargas

New Zealand economy sees 1.1% growth in third quarter, surpassing forecasts and signalling broad recovery after earlier contraction

In Short:
– New Zealand’s economy grew by 1.1% in Q3, exceeding expectations after a mid-year contraction.
– Fourteen industries reported gains, with business services and manufacturing leading the growth at 2.2%.

New Zealand’s economy bounced back in the third quarter, growing by 1.1% and exceeding forecasts of 0.9%. This follows a revised 1.0% contraction in Q2, signaling a clear turnaround. According to Statistics New Zealand, 14 out of 16 industries reported growth, with business services and manufacturing leading the charge. Construction also picked up, rising by 1.7%, while exports were boosted by strong dairy and meat sales.

Retail spending showed robust gains, especially in categories sensitive to interest rates, including a 9.8% increase in electrical goods and a 7.2% jump in motor vehicle parts. Despite the positive quarter-on-quarter growth, the economy was still 0.5% lower than the same period last year, with telecommunications and education the only sectors experiencing declines.

Cautiously optimistic, Reserve Bank Governor Anna Breman noted that monetary policy will continue to depend on incoming data, as financial conditions have tightened beyond earlier projections. While positive GDP numbers support current low rates, the services sector—comprising two-thirds of GDP—has contracted for 21 consecutive months, suggesting the recovery may remain uneven.

Money

Laurene Powell Jobs exits Monumental Sports ownership completely

Laurene Powell Jobs sells her stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Arctos Partners and QIA for $7.2 billion

Published

4 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Laurene Powell Jobs sells her stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Arctos Partners and QIA for $7.2 billion

In Short:
– Laurene Powell Jobs sold her stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment to Arctos Partners and Qatar Investment Authority.
– The deal values the enterprise at £7.2 billion, ending her eight-year involvement.

Billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs has officially exited Monumental Sports & Entertainment, selling her entire stake to private equity firm Arctos Partners and the Qatar Investment Authority. The transaction values the company at $7.2 billion, ending Powell Jobs’s eight-year involvement that began in 2017.

Monumental Sports owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA’s Washington Mystics, Capital One Arena, and Monumental Sports Network. Arctos Partners joins as a new minority investor, while QIA increases its ownership, further solidifying its presence in U.S. sports. Ted Leonsis, founder and CEO, emphasized plans to expand the Washington, D.C. sports ecosystem and enhance fan experiences.

This deal highlights the growing influence of private equity and sovereign wealth funds in sports. Arctos Partners now holds stakes in over 25 teams, including several NBA franchises, while QIA becomes the first sovereign wealth fund to invest directly in a major U.S. sports team, leveraging NBA regulation changes.

Money

Global markets outperform US stocks by largest margin as AI tech rallies in 2025

Global markets outperform US stocks in 2025, marking widest gap since 2009 as international gains surge

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Harvey Vargas

Global markets outperform US stocks in 2025, marking the widest gap since 2009 as international gains surge

In Short:
– Global markets outperformed U.S. stocks in 2025, with international equities showing significant gains.
– Helen Jewell highlighted that international performance was key, aided by the U.S. dollar’s decline.

In 2025, U.S. investors watching AI stocks closely may have missed the bigger picture: international markets delivered their strongest performance against U.S. equities in over three decades. While the S&P 500 rose just 15%, foreign markets outperformed by more than 10 percentage points, led by South Korea, Peru, and other European nations.

Helen Jewell, BlackRock’s CIO, highlighted that the dollar’s 13% decline earlier in the year further amplified returns for Americans holding foreign assets. This marked the widest performance gap since 2009 and reminded investors of the value of diversification beyond domestic tech giants.

Continued Tech Rally

Nvidia, Tesla, and Palantir Technologies emerged as the most-viewed ticker pages on Yahoo Finance in 2025. Nvidia alone attracted 250 million page views, while Palantir soared an eye-popping 140% for the year. Despite this hype, the S&P 500 lagged behind global peers, showing that concentrated U.S. tech gains can mask broader market opportunities.

U.S. stocks saw a boost after Micron Technology exceeded earnings expectations, jumping 10% on strong AI-related demand. The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund also gained 1.5%, driven by semiconductor optimism. However, analysts warn investors to avoid over-concentration in U.S. tech, even if AI-driven rallies persist into 2026.

As portfolios prepare for next year, the key question is whether semiconductor demand will expand beyond AI applications. Diversification remains essential, balancing excitement over tech gains with the risks of narrow market exposure.