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Key points Alternative investments cover various asset types and strategies. Investors are looking at alternative investments because of high interest rates. Alternative investments have historically been the domain of high-net-worth individuals. A unique confluence of steadily rising interest rates and soaring inflation has resulted in a historically challenging environment in which diversification — often considered the bedrock of investment strategy — is offering little solace. The time, therefore, might be ripe for investors to look beyond the traditional stock and bond dichotomy. The best alternative investments of 2024 offer another...

April 24, 2026Updated May 1, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ETYounger Americans are flocking to high-risk "alternative" investments in 2026, driven by the conviction that crypto, meme stocks and prediction markets offer better odds for meeting their financial goals.Gen Zers and millennials are gripped by a pervasive sense of financial nihilism that pushes them into risky investments, according to Northwestern Mutual's Planning & Progress Study 2026.Three-quarters of millennials and 80% of Gen Zers who choose risky investments feel "financially behind," the study says. They believe speculative investments "will help reach financial goals more effectively than traditional methods," such as conventional stocks and bonds.But some high-risk investments are more akin to gambling,...

Sept. 4, 2026, 3:02 a.m. ETUnited States stock markets will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will be closed Monday and reopen Tuesday, Sept. 8. The U.S. bond market will also be closed on Sept. 7, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the holiday celebrates "the social and economic achievements of American workers" and is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday "to recognize the many contributions workers...

July 31, 2026, 4:32 p.m. ETMicrosoft MSFT.O added nearly $450 billion in market value on Thursday, the largest one-day gain on record for a company, after it forecast stronger-than-expected cloud growth and signaled continued cash generation through its new fiscal year.The software giant's shares closed up more than 15%, lifting its market capitalization to $3.35 trillion, surpassing chip giant Nvidia's NVDA.O previous record one-day gain of $441 billion on April 9, 2025, according to LSEG data."Microsoft reported a very strong quarter and it struck the tone markets are looking to hear as the key drivers of...

July 2, 2026, 6:08 a.m. ETUnited States stock markets will be closed on Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day, which falls on a Saturday this year.The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will be closed Friday and reopen Monday, July 6. The U.S. bond market will also be closed on July 3 and will close early at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 2, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.The origins of the Fourth of July date back to July 4, 1776, when the U.S. unanimously adopted the Declaration of...

Updated June 25, 2026, 10:54 a.m. ETThe stock market took a tumble earlier this week. Led by a global tech sell-off, the Nasdaq was down 2.2% Tuesday amid skepticism around long-term AI profitability and concerns that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year.This volatility can prompt investors to wonder if they should shift into traditionally “safe” assets like gold, or weather the storm. But does this sell-off actually signal a wider trend? While stock dips can spook investors, most experts agree that this week’s decline looks more like a...

Jan. 27, 2026Updated May 15, 2026, 5:24 p.m. ETInvestors buy silver as a hedge against inflation, for portfolio diversification, or as a tangible asset.Silver's price is influenced by industrial demand, mining supply, economic uncertainty, and interest rates.Compared to gold, silver is less expensive but more volatile, offering both higher risk and potential reward.Investors buy silver for all sorts of reasons. Some want protection when markets drop. Others worry about inflation eating away at their savings. But recent price headlines won’t tell you if the precious metal belongs in your portfolio.So,...

June 19, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ETIf you were planning to trade some securities on the American stock exchanges on June 19, you'll have to wait due to Juneteenth.Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that the last slaves in the United States were freed.Specifically, Juneteenth acknowledges when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and Union forces arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the Texans there that previously enslaved Black Americans were now free.Juneteenth also honors the on-going fight for civil rights in the United States.Here's what you need to...