Apple closes at record high for first time since 2015

Shares of Apple rose to a record high close on Monday, buoyed by Wall Street’s expectations that the release of a 10th-anniversary iPhone and pent-up customer demand will shore up lackluster sales. The largest component of the S&P 500 and a core holding on Wall Street, Apple’s stock climbed 0.9 percent to end at $133.29, breaking above its record high close of $133.00 hit on Feb. 23, 2015 and giving it a market value of about $699.3 billion.

Bank CEOs Ask Lawmakers to Ease Capital Rules, Allow Higher Fees

Chief executives at the biggest U.S. regional banks are asking U.S. lawmakers to consider easing capital requirements and repeal part of the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul that caps fees banks charge retailers on debit-card transactions. Regional banks don’t pose risks to the financial system that have caused concern among policymakers, executives of 18 banks said in a Feb. 13 letter to the top Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress.

Allergan Bets on Aesthetics With $2.48 Billion Zeltiq Deal

Botox maker Allergan Plc is betting on aesthetics with the $2.48 billion acquisition of fat-chilling device maker Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., doubling down on a lucrative industry where patients pay mostly in cash for products and services. The purchase price is $56.50 a share in cash, the companies said Monday in a statement, a 14 percent premium to Pleasanton, California-based Zeltiq’s closing price Friday of $49.40.

Teva Said to Consider Options for Branded Generics Unit

Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is weighing options including a sale of its branded generics products business as it works to reduce debt, according to people familiar with the matter. The business could be valued at several billion dollars, and Teva may also consider spinning off the unit, the people said, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are private.

Restaurant Brands Reportedly Interested in Popeyes

Canada’s Restaurant Brands has spoken with Atlanta-based Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen about a potential acquisition, sources told Reuters. Shares of Restaurant Brands were up roughly 5% to $54 in Monday afternoon trading, while Popeyes stock was surging about 12.5% to $ The companies have not agreed to a deal price, and Restaurant Brands could pursue a transaction with another company altogether, the sources said.

Why the Oil Market is Approaching a Tipping Point

When I was standing shoulder to shoulder with all those other oil day traders on the floor of the NYMEX, once in a while I’d get a very funny feeling. All of a sudden, I’d realize that the position I’d built up for myself was largely shared by just about everyone around the ring — and I also sensed that every other trader had had the exact same realization.

Neumann Becomes FCC Media Bureau Chief Engineer

Federal Communications Commission Acting Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Neumann as chief engineer. “Jeffrey’s breadth of knowledge will be a great asset to the Bureau as it tackles the challenging work pending before it,” Carey said.

Equity Futures Hit Record Highs as ‘Trump Trade’ Rekindles

U.S. stock index futures hit record highs on Monday as the so-called “Trump trade”, which sent Wall Street to record highs last week, looked set to pick up speed after a brief lull. Wall Street’s three main stock indexes closed at record highs on Thursday and Friday as optimism about the economy rose after President Donald Trump vowed to make a major tax announcement in the next few weeks.

3 Ways You Can Lose Your Social Security Benefits

Tens of millions of Americans rely on their Social Security benefits, and many are in a position in which they can’t really afford to lose their monthly checks. Yet there are a few situations in which the Social Security Administration can and will take away benefits for certain recipients.

Saudi Arabia Tells OPEC It Cut Oil Output by Most in 8 Years

Saudi Arabia told OPEC that it cut oil production by the most in more than eight years, going beyond its obligations under a deal to balance world markets. The kingdom reported that it reduced output by 717,600 barrels a day last month to 9.748 million a day, according to a monthly report from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

New Crop of Activist Investors is on the Hunt

A Lazard review of activist campaigns for 2016 show that first time insurgent campaigns represented about a quarter of all activism for the year – a new record. Last month startup fund Gilead Capital settled a brewing director-election proxy fight with Landauer to add one dissident director to the therapeutics and analytical services company’s board.

3 personality traits the HR workforce needs

“The fact is that HR as a traditional role was not the coolest,” says Melanie Hache-Barrois, human capital management strategy director at Oracle. “Part of my job is to meet with HR vice presidents at various companies and the commonality is that they’re becoming less administrative and more like the people who bring innovation to a business.”

Why One Medical Is One Of The Most Innovative Companies Of 2017

To identify the ways that a doctor’s office can be improved, www.onemedical.com ]One Medical[/url] founder and CEO Tom Lee, an internist, spent the early days of his primary-care practice serving in a variety of roles, from physician to accountant. He hit on a membership model that adds concierge-style services to a high-tech foundation-allowing him to cut the administrative costs of traditional care by two-thirds, he says.

Momentum investing explained

Portfolio manager and researcher Dr. Wesley Gray is at it again, looking for ways to build that proverbial better mousetrap. , which he co-wrote with Tobias Carlisle, and found it to be “solid piece of research that combines the successful value investing framework of Benjamin Graham and That these gentlemen have managed to publish two well researched and highly-analytical books in back-to-back years is a feat in and of itself.

Fintech Pressure Spurs Top Thai Bank to Create New Platform

Kasikornbank Pcl, Thailand’s largest bank by revenue, plans to introduce a new digital-payments platform by the end of 2017 to counter threats to fee income from rival transaction networks. The goal is faster, easier and lower-cost online banking transactions, according to Kattiya Indaravijaya, one of four presidents at the Bangkok-based company.

European Stocks Gain as Basic Resource Stocks Power Benchmarks

European stocks climbed higher in early Monday trading as rising commodity price lifted basic resources firms amid growing optimism over the pace of growth in major Asian economies. European stocks climbed higher in early Monday trading as rising commodity price lifted basic resources firms amid growing optimism over the pace of growth in major Asian economies.