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Mortgage rates retreated this week, with the 30-year fixed rate averaging 6.63 percent, compared to 6.75 percent the previous week, according to Bankrate’s latest lender survey. Loan type Current 4 weeks ago One year ago 52-week average 52-week low 30-year 6.63% 6.72% 6.86% 6.79% 6.20% 15-year 5.79% 5.85% 6.21% 6.01% 5.40% 30-year jumbo 6.66% 6.75% 6.98% 6.83% 6.36% The 30-year fixed mortgages in this week’s survey had an average total of 0.33 discount and origination points. Discount points are a way to lower your mortgage rate, while origination points are fees lenders charge to create, review and process your loan.…

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Image source: Getty Images Nobody could tell how politically and economically turbulent the last five years have been by looking at the Tesco (LSE: TSCO) share price. It’s a picture of serene upwards progression, climbing 90% over five years, 60% over three and 30% in the last 12 months. Tesco isn’t chasing global domination anymore, and that may be its biggest strength. Instead, it’s primarily intent on bossing the domestic grocery market, and it’s making a good job of it. Exemplary FTSE 100 stock 2024 results, published in April, showed like-for-like sales across the UK and Ireland up 4%, while…

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This article was developed with the support of Journalismfund Europe. At Nairobi’s Dandora dumpsite, men, women and children scramble over vast mountains of trash — each waste picker hoping to unearth anything they can sell.  Scavenging silently among them, marabou storks — some nearly five feet tall — wage their own daily contest for survival. A rising wind carries an overwhelming stench and lifts vortexes of black plastic scraps, which swirl past birds and people alike. Solomon Njoroge, 35, chair of the Nairobi Recyclable Waste Association, began waste picking at the age of eight. He used to earn decent money by…

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Image source: Getty Images Few fashion brands have stood the test of time like Dr Martens (LSE: DRM). The black boots with their iconic yellow stitching have been around since 1960 – and are still going strong! It’s hard to go a few stops on the tube without spying someone sporting a pair. The Dr Martens Instagram account has over 3m followers. The revival in popularity in recent years has seen the boots adorn Gen Z mega-celebs that even I’ve heard of like Kendall Jenner or Olivia Rodrigo. With such timeless charm, I’d surely have expected the shares in the…

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Image source: Getty Images Right now, the Taylor Wimpey (LSE: TW) share price is a mess. It has plunged 10% in the last month and 33% over 12 months. If anything, that understates the pain. A decade ago, the shares traded at around 200p. Today, they sit at 101p. That’s roughly half. My FTSE 100 flop This housebuilder, like the rest of its sector, has been clobbered by everything from Covid and Brexit to inflation and high interest rates, while inflation has pushed up construction costs. April’s rise in employer’s National Insurance and the minimum wage made workers even more expensive. We shouldn’t…

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Image source: Rolls-Royce plc On 31 July 2023, I penned an article posted on this very website titled “At 193p, are Rolls-Royce shares a slam-dunk buy?”. I sit down to write this on the 2nd anniversary of said article with a definitive answer to the question. Yes. Yes, they were.  They’re up more than five times since then! They are nestling happily at the number-one spot on the two-year FTSE 100 leaderboard. No other Footsie stock has even tripled! Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) shares deserve every superlative thrown their way, whether basketball-themed or otherwise.  The question I’m asking myself now is…

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Image source: Getty Images Lloyds is one of the most popular dividend stocks around. Brand strength, a solid income record, and a leading UK mortgage position keep the Black Horse bank firmly in favour. Lloyds shareholders have been handsomely rewarded recently, with the stock up nearly 50% year to date. And that’s before dividends! However, according to the average price target among City brokers (89p), Lloyds might be almost fully valued at just over 80p. But that’s certainly not the case with YouGov (LSE:YOU), which carries a 557p price target. That’s 56% higher than its current 358p. So, while analysts…

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OpenAI confirmed that ChatGPT now attracts 700 million weekly active users, up from around 500 million users in March. ChatGPT has grown four times compared to last year, showing a quick growth in both consumer and business areas.  The surge includes users from free, Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Team, and educational plans. This demonstrates broad AI adoption among individuals, businesses, and schools. ChatGPT Soars Past 700 Million Weekly Active Users ChatGPT is one of the fastest-growing online platforms ever. Its natural language skills, wide range of functions, and global workflow integration fuel this growth. OpenAI’s official figures show ChatGPT’s user base quadrupled in less…

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The demand to finance a home surged as mortgage applications increased 3.1% for the week ending Aug. 1, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The increase comes after applications decreased 3.8% the week prior.In addition, mortgage interest rates remained fairly steady at 6.72% for a 30-year fixed mortgage, for the week ending July 31, according to Freddie Mac.The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 3.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 3% compared with the previous week.The refinance index increased 5% from the previous week and…

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