(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…
While Wall Street has been gripped by a broad selloff in 2026, one corner of the market has been quietly — and in some cases loudly — thriving. Energy stocks have emerged as the standout performers of the year, riding a wave of elevated oil prices, geopolitical tension, and a flight to safety that has Read More…
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson issued a stark warning this week about the economic risks posed by surging energy prices, telling audiences that a sustained rise in oil and gas costs could simultaneously stoke inflation and drag on economic growth — a combination that would put the central bank in an increasingly difficult position. Read More…
It has been a week of mixed signals for Constellation Energy (Nasdaq: CEG), the nation’s largest nuclear power operator. A string of setbacks — regulatory delays, a major asset sale, a director departure, and a price target cut — weighed on shares even as analysts maintained an overwhelmingly bullish long-term outlook on the Baltimore-based company. Read More…
Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in parts of Wyoming are now eligible for low-interest federal disaster loans following a drought declaration issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The assistance is available to businesses in Goshen County, Laramie County, and Niobrara County, which were included in a multi-state disaster declaration covering drought conditions that began Read More…
President Donald Trump has signed legislation reauthorizing two of the federal government’s flagship small-business research programs, clearing the way for a major Pentagon push to speed new technologies from startups and universities to the battlefield. The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act renews the Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Read More…
America’s small business owners pulled back slightly on their optimism in February, according to the latest data from the National Federation of Independent Business, with the group’s Small Business Optimism Index dipping to 98.8 — a modest retreat that nonetheless offered some encouraging signs beneath the headline number. The reading, which fell below the index’s Read More…
Dakota Foundry, a vertically integrated grey and ductile iron foundry, has been named one of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce “CO—100 Top 100 Small Businesses in America”, a national recognition that highlights the company’s innovation, craftsmanship, and impact on American manufacturing. The CO—100 designation honors small businesses demonstrating exceptional innovation and influence across the country. Read More…
Stockman Bank has been named the top bank in Montana on Forbes’ 2026 list of America’s Best-In-State Banks, marking another year at the top of the statewide ranking for Montana’s largest family-owned community bank. The recognition, released June 17 in partnership with Statista, is based on surveys of thousands of U.S. banking customers as well Read More…
Montana ranked ninth in the nation for year-over-year job growth, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced, citing a new report placing the state among the country’s strongest job markets. According to a report by Stat Ranker, which compared all 50 states on year-over-year growth in total nonfarm payroll employment between February 2025 and February 2026, Montana added Read More…
First Interstate BancSystem has been named to TIME magazine’s inaugural America’s Best Companies 2026 list, a recognition the Billings-based regional bank’s leadership credited to its people and its approach to community banking across the West. The list, produced in partnership with Statista and announced July 9, ranks 1,000 U.S. companies based on three equally weighted Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte joined Janicki Industries leadership to break ground on the company’s $800 million, 1.6 million-square-foot manufacturing campus in Great Falls, marking the formal start of what is expected to become one of the largest private investments in Montana’s recent history. The ceremony brought together Janicki leadership, state and local officials, and members of Read More…
Costco Wholesale reported June net sales of $29.24 billion, a 10.6% year-over-year increase for the five-week retail period ending July 5, offering fresh evidence that the warehouse retailer’s distinctive business model continues to hold up well in a choppy consumer environment. Comparable sales rose 8.8% for the month, with the U.S. segment leading the way Read More…
Nvidia has built its dominant position in the artificial intelligence chip market by consistently delivering on promises that once seemed impossibly ambitious. Now, with expectations running at record highs and rivals closing in, the company faces a different kind of challenge — convincing investors that what comes next will be as good as what came Read More…
Most financial advice from billionaires sounds something like this: diversify your portfolio, buy index funds, think long-term, let compound interest do the heavy lifting. Mark Cuban’s advice on what to do with a sudden $100,000 windfall sounds nothing like that. It starts in the grocery store. When asked by Forbes how he’d handle a fresh Read More…
Wall Street posted weekly losses across the board as a sell-off in semiconductor and technology stocks outweighed a string of solid earnings reports, snapping what had been a period of broad market strength. The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% for the week, ending Friday at 7,457.69. The Nasdaq Composite fared worse, falling 2.9% as chipmakers came Read More…