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Stocks tumbled on Thursday, dragged down by growth stocks after dour quarterly results from Meta Platforms, while signs of persistent inflation dampened hopes of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates anytime soon.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 680 points, or 1.8%, at 37,780.

The S&P 500dropped 1.4%, and the Nasdaqfell 1.7%.

Meta plunged 14.7% after the Facebook-parent forecast higher expenses and lighter-than-expected revenue.

Social media firms such as Snap and Pinterest fell 4.2% and 4.9%, respectively.

Other growth stocks also came under pressure, with Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft down between 4.3% and 4.5%.

Alphabet, Microsoft and Intel are scheduled to report their quarterly numbers on Thursday after markets close.

Adding to losses, US economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter, but an acceleration in inflation suggested that the Fed would not cut interest rates before September.

“The economy continues to grow, but at a slower pace and you still have sticky inflation, that just means that the Fed is not likely to cut in June and a big question mark for the remainder of the year,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities.

Separately, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to still tight labor market conditions.

Yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to multi-month highs after the data, last standing at 4.731%.

The data comes in ahead of the Personal Consumption expenditures (PCE) index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, on Friday.

Money markets are pricing in just about 36 basis points of rate cuts from the Fed this year, down from about 150 bps seen at the start of the year, according to LSEG data.

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Downbeat results from other companies also weighed on equities.

International Business Machines dropped 7.9% after the firm said it will buy HashiCorp in a deal valued at $6.4 billion, and as its first-quarter revenue missed estimates.

Southwest Airlines slid 9.6% after slashing its estimates for new aircraft deliveries from Boeing in 2024 for the third time, saying it plans to undertake cost-cutting measures to ease the resultant blow.

Caterpillar lost 7.8% after the company said it expects sales to fall in the second quarter as demand for its construction equipment eases from last year’s boom.

On the bright side,Royal Caribbean Groupedged 0.4% higher after the cruise operator raised its annual profit forecast for a second time.

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Sports

Rangers rally past Flyers but lose captain Miller

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Rangers rally past Flyers but lose captain Miller

NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad tied it late in the third period, and the New York Rangers killed off two penalties in overtime on the way to beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday.

The comeback for just a fifth win in 18 home games this season potentially came at a great cost, with captain J.T. Miller leaving in pain after taking a big hit from Nick Seeler with just over eight minutes left. Miller seemed to be favoring his right arm/shoulder as he skated off and went down the tunnel for medical attention.

Miller was already out when Zibanejad scored on a late power play following Rasmus Ristolainen‘s delay-of-game penalty for putting the puck over the glass. Penalties to Artemi Panarin and Scott Morrow in OT put the Rangers on the kill, but Igor Shesterkin made four of his 28 saves after regulation.

Panarin scored twice and had the shootout winner in his return after sitting out Thursday night at St. Louis because of an illness. The Rangers fell behind, allowing three goals in less than four minutes and another before the second period ended, then Vincent Trocheck got things rolling in the third.

Travis Sanheim had a goal and an assist, and Denver Barkey picked up his first two career points in his NHL debut for Philadelphia. Samuel Ersson allowed four goals on 27 shots, plus two more in the shootout, and he and the Flyers lost for the fifth time in six games.

Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from the minors to back up Ersson because Dan Vladar is banged up, general manager Daniel Briere said. Barkey was filling in for injured winger Christian Dvorak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Environment

Giddyup: Polestar picks up $600 million in fresh funding

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Giddyup: Polestar picks up 0 million in fresh funding

Geely-backed performance EV brand Polestar has had some troubling times in recent months, but its future is looking a whole lot better after the company secured a $600 million loan facility to help it keep on keepin’ on.

Despite vehicle sales picking up in 2025 on the strengths of the Polestar EV brand’s Swedish sensibilities, cutting-edge Chinese EV tech, and Volvo-aided safety specs, the company’s financial picture has been anything but rosy, with the threat of having its stock delisted from the NASDAQ looming large at several points.

In a vote of broader confidence and better times ahead, Volvo’s parent company Geely Sweden Holdings AB is backing the brand with more than half a billion dollars of fresh funding to extend its operational runway:

Polestar, as borrower, entered into a credit agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary, as lender, of Geely Sweden Holdings AB in relation to a subordinated term loan facility of up to USD 600 million, of which the last USD 300 million would require lender consent based on Polestar’s future liquidity needs. The term loan facility is available to Polestar for general corporate purposes.

POLESTAR

The new funds are just the most recent part of a big week for Polestar – one that saw the Polestar 4 recently begin deliveries to its first North American customers, and recent upgrades to the Polestar 3 have made that car a viable V2G/V2x offering in Europe, as well. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that Geely wants to see how this all plays out.

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The company has four models in its current line-up on sale in 28 countries, along with additional planned models that include the Polestar 7 SUV (set to be introduced in 2028) and the Polestar 6 coupe/roadster.

Electrek’s Take


Polestar 4 deliveries
Polestar 4; via Polestar.

Product-wise, at least, it’s hard to argue that Polestar’s future appears to be anything but bright. The new Polestar 3 crossover is a viable competitor to the industry-leading Tesla Model Y, and the upcoming Polestar 4 and 5 models seem like winners, too. To drive that point home, Polestar is promoting up to $18,000 in incentives to lure in Tesla buyers.

You can find out more about Polestar’s killer EV deals on the full range of Polestar models, from the 2 to the 4, below, then let us know what you think of the three-pointed star’s latest discount dash in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

SOURCE: Polestar.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Environment

The backup battery choice you didn’t know you had: natural gas fuel cell

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The backup battery choice you didn’t know you had: natural gas fuel cell

Whether it’s to keep the lights on after a natural disaster or just to avoid peak energy rates, more people than ever are adding battery energy storage to their home solar systems — but li-ion batteries aren’t the only option. The new WATT Fuel Cell uses the natural gas connection your home already has to generate power when you need it.

Technically a solid oxide fuel cell, the WATT unit turns the natural gas in your home into electricity without combustion, relying instead on a chemical reaction between the natural gas and oxygen in the air to create an electric current in a way that’s conceptually similar to a hydrogen fuel cell, but that makes use of a more readily available (and far cheaper) fuel source to generate power while producing far fewer harmful emissions than a conventional generator.

How it works


By WATT Fuel Cell.

The company’s latest offering, the WATT HOME system, recently achieved certification at a 2 kW power rating, marking an important step on the company’s commercialization roadmap as it races to meet market demands for a natural-gas-powered backup solution to guarantee uptime in outage-prone regions.

This week, the company marked another major milestone by installing the of its first 2 kW WATT HOME solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) at the Edward M. Smith National Career and Life Skills Development Center, Hope Gas’ new state-of-the-art training facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia – but the news doesn’t end there.

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The company plans to take advantage of the new 30% ITC benefit (a federal tax credit that lets homeowners deduct 30% of the cost of qualifying clean energy systems, which now includes natural gas) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to help drive sales, with installations beginning in Hope Gas’ utility territory in Q1 of 2026.

“The WATT HOME system’s new 2 kW certification … validates the performance capabilities we’ve engineered for years and strengthens our competitive position as we move into multi-year deployment with Hope Gas,” says Caine Finnerty, WATT’s CEO and Founder. “With the ITC benefit, we anticipate accelerated adoption and substantial value for customers, utilities, and investors.”

The gas fuel cell can send power directly to the home’s panel, keeping the lights on directly, or perform the same function as a solar panel, sending power to a battery where it can be stored for later use.

Keep in mind, though – this isn’t a zero emissions option the way a solar + battery solution is. This is very much a fossil fuel-powered solution that gives off carbon and nitrous emissions, and the only reasons we’re talking about it are:

  • the tech is kind of cool
  • I didn’t know these existed
  • it is objectively cleaner than a conventional ICE generator

That said, while solar is still the better solution in an ideal world, a WATT HOME fuel cell might be a better option in situations where rooftop space is limited (or nonexistent), such as condos or vertically-designed townhomes. In those scenarios, solar panels are unlikely to generate a meaningful amount of electricity, but a fuel cell that can tap into the buildings’ existing natural gas lines to provide reliable backup power if the grid fails.

That makes the fuel cell an attractive option for residents in multi-unit buildings, older historic neighborhoods with strict aesthetic rules, or any building where adding solar panels aren’t feasible, but a low-emission, low-noise backup solution is still needed.

The better question, then, isn’t is it better than solar – it’s is it better than solar for you? If you’re in West Virginia, you might be able to find out in just a few weeks. In the meantime, watch WATT’s own explainer video, below, then let us know what you think of the idea of a natural gas fuel cell in the comments.

Powering your home with a fuel cell


SOURCE | IMAGES: WATT, via PRNewswire.


If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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