SJ

US mortgage rates have reached 7%, reviving questions about the direction of the housing market. The Wall Street Journal reports on what higher borrowing costs mean for buyers, sellers and home prices. Many would-be homeowners are being priced out as affordability tightens, while analysts watch whether rates will stay elevated or ease in the months ahead.

The Wall Street Journal examines how banks have long profited from customer inertia — customers rarely switch accounts, which keeps fee income and deposits stable. The piece asks whether artificial intelligence could change this by making it easier for customers to compare, switch and negotiate banking services, potentially eroding a quiet profit engine of the industry.

US Treasury yields have climbed to fresh highs, according to Wall Street Journal coverage, even as some Federal Reserve officials have delivered dovish-leaning remarks that investors might otherwise expect to pull yields lower. The rise signals renewed pressure in bond markets, with implications for borrowing costs, mortgages, and equity valuations. Markets continue to weigh Fed policy signals against inflation and fiscal concerns.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Nvidia's share buybacks have inflated the company's market value beyond what its underlying business fundamentals justify, describing the effect as "phantom value." The analysis argues repurchases have amplified the chipmaker's stock price, raising questions about how much of Nvidia's enormous valuation reflects genuine demand versus financial engineering.

Wall Street's trading desks are pulling back after a record-setting run, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report says desks at major banks that had posted exceptional volumes are now seeing activity cool from those peaks. Market watchers are weighing whether the slowdown reflects normal volatility swings or the start of a broader decline in trading revenue across the industry.

A Wall Street Journal opinion piece examines what it calls Trump's 'pocket rescission', a maneuver to withhold previously appropriated federal funds without a formal congressional vote. The article unpacks the legal mechanics and political implications of the move, which critics view as a challenge to Congress's power of the purse. Discussion centers on whether the tactic will survive court and legislative challenges.

The Wall Street Journal published its regular Health Care Roundup in the Market Talk section, summarizing the latest market developments across the health care sector. The roundup collects the day's key news and analyst commentary on drugmakers, insurers and medical companies for investors tracking the industry.