SJ

Mortgage rates in the United States have risen back to 7%, reviving concerns about housing affordability. The Wall Street Journal examines what the jump means for buyers and sellers, with analysts debating whether home prices will cool or if the market will remain locked up by homeowners reluctant to give up lower rates.

The Wall Street Journal examines how banks profit from customers who leave money in low-yield accounts and rarely switch providers, and asks whether artificial intelligence could disrupt this complacency. AI-powered comparison and advisory tools might make it easier for consumers to shop around, potentially eroding a longstanding source of banking profits.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Nvidia's massive share buyback program may have created 'phantom value,' inflating the chipmaker's stock price beyond fundamentals. The piece argues that repurchases, rather than genuine earnings growth, contributed significantly to shareholder returns during the AI boom. Market watchers are debating how much of Nvidia's valuation reflects real demand versus buyback mechanics.

The Wall Street Journal published its Basic Materials Roundup in its Market Talk section, collecting commentary and analysis on commodity, mining and chemicals sectors for business readers. The item is circulating lightly among finance and markets followers, who use such roundups to track commodity price movements and sector developments in one place.

The Wall Street Journal has published its regular Energy & Utilities Roundup, a Market Talk feature that aggregates the latest commentary and developments across oil, gas, power and utility markets. The roundup offers traders and investors a quick digest of notable moves, company updates and analyst views in the sector, part of the paper's ongoing markets coverage.