Friday’s business headlines
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Friday’s business headlines with Jane King.
Big banks to kick off earnings season with reports
Earnings season kicks into full gear today with results from big bank stocks JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Bank of America.
The results will give analysts a glimpse into the health of the economy and will show if people are paying bills on time, going into debt, or saving money.
Apartment rental prices fall 1.4% in December
The national median rent dropped for the fourth consecutive month in December, with overall prices down 3% since August, according to a new government report.
Analysts expect the housing market, which was red-hot for some of 2022, to continue cooling over the next few months.
New pilot contracts may drive up flight prices
Pilots are negotiating new contracts with the airlines, and that could send ticket prices soaring.
Some airlines have had to hand out bumper contracts to pilots, stoking concerns from airlines about a rise in costs as they recover from the pandemic, a time when they were saddled with heavy debt loads.
Lawmakers renew push to ban congressional stock trading
Some U.S. lawmakers are pushing to ban members of Congress from trading stocks because they have inside information.
The supporters of a new bipartisan bill argue that the measure would prevent insider trading and “restore Americans’ confidence in their elected officials.”
Previous efforts to ban individual stock trades stalled in Congress.
HBO Max raises prices for the first time
Warner Bros. Discovery is raising the price of an ad-free subscription to HBO Max for the first time since the streaming service was launched in 2020.
The price of the platform, which includes shows like “The White Lotus” and “House of the Dragon” will rise by $1 to $15.99 (plus tax) per month for U.S. subscribers.