NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . They’re the first back-to-back losses for the index in nearly a month, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 6.7% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped more than 80% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show similar increases as the month before. Wednesday’s update and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to take pressure off the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts through next year have been a big reason the S&P 500 has set so many records this year. Trading in the options market suggests traders aren’t expecting a very big move for U.S. stocks following Wednesday’s report, according to strategists at Barclays. But a reading far off expectations in either direction could quickly change that. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Story continues below video Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn to stay high and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 6.9% even though it delivered profit and revenue for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January. Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.2% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 4.5% after saying it’s resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.5% after the ski resort operator reported a smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. All told, the S&P 500 fell 17.94 points to 6,034.91. The Dow dipped 154.10 to 44,247.83, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 49.45 to 19,687.24. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. Indexes fell across much of Europe ahead of a meeting this week by the European Central Bank, where the widespread expectation is for another cut in interest rates. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Hundreds of companies pay dividends. Many currently offer higher yields, making them attractive for those seeking passive income. With so many options, it's easy to miss some appealing opportunities. MPLX ( MPLX 2.55% ) and Omega Healthcare Investors ( OHI -0.07% ) are two high-yielding dividend stocks many investors have overlooked. Here's why investors won't want to miss these excellent passive income producers. High yield and high growth MPLX doesn't get a lot of attention from investors. It's not as popular as fellow master limited partnerships (MLPs) , Energy Transfer ( ET 0.53% ) and Enterprise Products Partners ( EPD 1.45% ) . However, it stacks up well compared to those high-yielding rivals: MLP Distribution Yield Distribution Coverage Ratio Leverage Ratio Energy Transfer 6.7% 2.0x 4.0x-4.5x Enterprise Products Partners 6.4% 1.7x 3.0x MPLX 7.8% 1.5x 3.4x Data source: MPLX, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products Partners. MLP = master limited partnership. As the table shows, MPLX has a much higher yield. That's because it has a lower distribution coverage ratio, largely due to its rapid growth in recent years. It recently increased its distribution by 12.5%, which followed 10% increases in 2023 and 2022. That compares to 5% distribution growth from Enterprise Products Partners over the past year and a 3%-5% annual growth target range from Energy Transfer. MLPX has plenty more growth coming down the pipeline . The company expects to complete its BANGL pipeline expansion next year, while the Blackcomb and Rio Bravo pipelines should enter service in the second half of 2026. The MLP also has a couple more natural gas processing plants under construction that should enter commercial service over the next two years. In addition to that visible growth, MPLX has ample financial capacity to continue making accretive acquisitions. It has made two deals this year, including boosting its stake in BANGL. These growth drivers should give it the fuel to continue increasing its high-yielding distribution at a healthy clip. That makes it a great option for those comfortable with investing in MLPs that send their investors a Schedule K-1 federal tax form each year. This high yield is growing healthier Omega Healthcare Investors has quietly been a very enriching investment over the years . The healthcare real estate investment trust (REIT) pays a 6.7%-yieldin g dividend, which is a lot higher than the average REIT (around 4%). While its dividend growth has stalled in recent years (it hasn't increased the payout since 2019), it has delivered 7.1% compound annual dividend growth overall since it came public in 2003. The REIT invests in income-generating skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the U.S. and U.K. It leases these facilities back to healthcare companies under long-term triple net (NNN) agreements. It will also invest in real estate loans backed by skilled nursing and senior housing properties. Those investments generate very stable rental and interest income for the REIT to support its high-yielding dividend. Omega Healthcare routinely invests money in additional healthcare properties. For example, it completed $440 million of new investments in the third quarter, including $390 million in real estate acquisitions and $50 million in real estate loans. Its new investments help grow its cash flow, supporting the REIT's high-yielding dividend. The company currently has a rather high dividend payout ratio (95%), which has prevented it from increasing its dividend. However, with its cash flow per share rising, its dividend is getting even healthier. If it can continue growing its cash flow, it should eventually be able to start increasing its dividend again. Enticing options for income-seeking investors MPLX and Omega Healthcare Investors have hefty dividend yields these days. Because of that, they're worth a closer look for those seeking to generate passive income. They could enable investors to collect more income than they would from similar investments.
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TL;DR: Apple has some significant upgrades in store for the displays adorning the MacBook Pros. Not only is the company switching from mini-LED to OLED, but it's also finally planning to ditch the notch for something less conspicuous. A new product timeline by research firm Omdia suggests that Apple intends to do away with the controversial notch cutout that has graced the MacBook Pro screens since 2021. Instead, it will implement a streamlined "hole punch" design to accommodate the webcam. Although controversial, the notch was functional, allowing Apple to extend the display area closer to the chassis edges while providing a dedicated space for the webcam. Besides a cleaner, more uniform display, removing the notch should marginally increase the usable menu bar space across the top of the screen. It might also allow Apple to port the iPhone's Dynamic Island to MacBooks. Click to enlarge The roadmap reveals that this change will apply to both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and go live in 2026 or 2027. It also shows that Macs will finally make the switch over to OLED. Interestingly, Apple aims to utilize a hybrid OLED variant akin to the technology it debuted on its latest iPad Pro . Regardless of its implementation, OLED would deliver tangible benefits compared to mini-LED. Owners can expect higher brightness, better contrast with inky blacks, improved power efficiency for longer battery life, and more. The switch may also enable a slimmer chassis design for added portability. Apple's OLED ambitions extend beyond the MacBook Pro, too. The forecast shows the compact iPad mini upgrading to OLED panels by late 2026, followed by the mid-range iPad Air roughly a year later. Meanwhile, the mainstream MacBook Air will complete the OLED migration in 2028, though the word is that it will retain the notch. Rounding out the roadmap, Apple is working towards some form of foldable OLED device slated for 2028 or later. Details are scant other than that its overall screen size is listed as a whopping 18.8 inches. Image credit: JukanlosreveNone