Skip to main content

Featured

Wall Street Futures Surge as Fed Hints at More Cuts, Nvidia’s $5B Intel Bet Lifts Tech

  U.S. stock futures climbed on Thursday, with the Nasdaq leading gains, after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points and signaled two more reductions could follow in 2025. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 0.7%, S&P 500 futures gained 0.8%, and Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.2%, buoyed by a sharp rally in tech stocks. Intel shares surged nearly 30% in premarket trading after Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in the struggling chipmaker, though the deal stops short of a manufacturing partnership. The Fed’s move, aimed at supporting a slowing economy amid high inflation and a weakening labor market, initially sparked caution, but optimism returned as investors bet on a more accommodative policy path. If gains hold, the S&P 500 is set to open above 6,700 for the first time, extending September’s unexpected rally. Traders are now watching weekly jobless claims for further clues on the labor market, while corporate earnings — including ...

article

LCBO Stores Set to Reopen Tuesday After Resolving Last-Minute Dispute

 

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) have resolved a last-minute dispute, paving the way for LCBO stores to reopen on Tuesday. This resolution comes after a two-week strike that saw over 9,000 workers walk off the job.

The tentative agreement, reached on Friday, initially hit a snag when the union and the LCBO disagreed over the return-to-work protocol. The LCBO accused the union of introducing new monetary demands, while the union maintained that their demands were standard and had been used in previous strikes.

Despite the initial impasse, both parties confirmed on Saturday morning that the dispute had been resolved. Voting on the tentative deal is set to occur over the weekend, and if ratified, unionized workers will return to work on Monday, with stores reopening to the public on Tuesday.

The agreement includes an eight-percent pay raise over three years, the conversion of 1,000 casual employees to permanent part-time status, and the hiring of 60 additional full-time employees in warehouse operations. Additionally, there will be no store closures for the duration of the deal.

A significant point of contention was the expansion of ready-to-drink beverages into grocery and convenience stores. The Ford government expedited this timeline, allowing licensed Ontario grocery stores to sell these beverages ahead of schedule. A non-binding committee will be formed to determine the best way to implement these plans.

With the resolution of this dispute, Ontarians can look forward to shopping at LCBO stores again, knowing that their purchases support public services.


Comments