Big news on Wall St

It’s (nearly) a wrap on investing in 2023 and despite turbulence and a tough economy, it seems many Hatch investors saw plenty of wins in their portfolio this year. Year-to-date the average returns for Hatch investors’ top 10 company stocks grew more than 110%. So, what else set new benchmarks in the US share markets?

The S&P 500 is popular with fund managers and investors because it tracks the performance of the 500 largest companies in the US share markets. But not all S&P funds are created equal with some out-performing others by leaps and bounds.

LAB and Six60 topped Aotearoa listening charts in Spotify Wrapped but how much were Kiwi artists paid by the Swedish music streaming giant? And are cracks beginning to show in the subscription economy that may limit consumer choice but can help company profits soar?

New Zealand imported Black Friday from the US, but that doesn’t mean we’re spending up large during tighter economic times. While Black Friday spending soared in the US, it seems Kiwis weren’t quite so keen to part with their hard-earned cash. So who was buying in bulk in record US Black Friday shopping?

While 2023 may have felt like a bumpy ride for investors it seems that recession predictions were stymied by a buoyant American economy. Could the road ahead bring in fresh optimism echoing rallies of holidays past?

In a world of instant gratification, is buy now pay later (BNPL) just what we do now? While BNPL providers aren't rapidly bringing on more customers and people aren’t using BNPL more, shoppers are missing more payments sinking into a debt cycle helping providers’ revenue to climb. Is this why Affirm’s stock has soared 153% this year?

As men’s mental health takes centre stage in the great Movember mo-grow, it seems that stress in the US has Americans reaching for their quick fix comfort hit. And one company peaking in a post-pandemic boom of their own is Starbucks.

Tech company Snap bucked the tech trend going public on the NYSE instead of the Nasdaq. And in a world where consumers get spooked about paying for social media app, Snap app Snapchat has gone against the grain. So what has the company worried?

While the US railway industry avoided strike action this year, as inflation mounts and consumers buy less along with mounting climate and oil issues, the freight railways face incoming challenges. So, what story is their stock telling?

White Birkenstocks, black birkenstocks, or Birkenstock stocks? Investors and sensible shoe fans lined up to own a slice of Germany’s legacy footwear company after its IPO on the NYSE. But the hoped for multi-billion dollar gains didn’t come in and some investors may be out of pocket. Did Birkenstock put a foot wrong or has the Halloween horror show come early?

Cybercrime and cybersecurity are advancing at a pace we’ve never seen before, with many cybersecurity stocks soaring on the Nasdaq in 2023. Staying safe online matters more now than ever. Here are quick, simple and effective things everyone can do to help protect themselves online.

Will Kiwis face queues at petrol stations as we seek out competitive petrol in the face of rising global oil barrels hitting a 10-month high? This June, Opec+ oil producing members agreed to lower oil supply and agreed again this September to continue. So what does that mean for Big Oil stocks?