Montana’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.2% in August, remaining below the national rate and placing the state among the 15 lowest unemployment rates in the country. The national unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1% in August, according to federal labor data. Total employment in Montana, including payroll, agricultural and self-employed workers, increased by 482 Read More…
The Federal Communications Commission has approved Paramount Skydance’s request to allow substantial foreign investment in its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, clearing another regulatory hurdle for one of the largest media deals in recent years. The FCC’s Media Bureau approved indirect, non-voting ownership stakes for investors tied to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Read More…
Bloom Energy Corp. is scheduled to join the S&P 500 before Monday’s market open as part of the index’s quarterly rebalance, a shift that could trigger substantial buying from the passive funds that track the benchmark. Inclusion in the S&P 500 typically forces index funds and exchange-traded funds that mirror the benchmark to purchase shares Read More…
U.S. stocks ended a turbulent week on a mixed note as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s first interest-rate increase in three years, a surge in oil prices and renewed pressure from rising Treasury yields. The S&P 500 finished the week down less than 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.7%. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Read More…
Steve Daines praised the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 132.83% anti-dumping duty on Russian palladium imports, calling the move a critical step to protect Montana mining jobs and counter what he described as market manipulation by Moscow. The Commerce Department’s duty, enforceable upon publication in the Federal Register, is aimed at offsetting what U.S. Read More…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wants his nation’s auto industry to look far beyond its usual American market with investments in electric vehicles and other trade partners. U.S. tariffs have hit Canada hard, prompting a shift in Canada’s economic strategy. This pivot has already frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened 100% tariffs on Canada Read More…
A new $750,000 EPSCoR grant from NASA will help researchers at Montana State University work to limit the impact of atmospheric turbulence in quantum laser communications links between ground stations and space terminals. The project, titled “Programmable Photonics for Quantum Space Networks,” is funded through September 2028. The project builds on optical communications technologies developed Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced the membership of the Licensing Reform Task Force, fulfilling his commitment to streamline state government and make it easier for Montanans to enter the workforce. Established by executive order in January, the task force is charged with identifying and recommending the elimination of unnecessary or redundant professional and occupational licensing requirements, Read More…
The War Department announced today that 25 vendors have been selected to compete in Phase I of the Drone Dominance Program (DDP), a sweeping acquisition reform initiative aimed at rapidly fielding low-cost, unmanned one-way attack drones at scale to strengthen America’s Arsenal of Freedom. The program reflects one of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s core Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.4 percent in December, extending the state’s streak of over four consecutive years with unemployment at or below that level, according to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. The state’s jobless rate remains well below the national average of 4.4 percent, keeping Montana among the top ten states Read More…
Thirteen farmers from Kansas and Colorado, along with Weskan Grain and Colorado Pacific Railroad (CXR), filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas alleging that Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (K&O) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) conspired to block competition and inflate grain transportation costs across the region. Read More…
Montana’s construction industry continues to surge, driving economic growth, creating thousands of high-paying jobs, and fueling demand for skilled workers across the state, according to a new analysis released by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI). The report, part of DLI’s 406 JOBS High Demand Sector Analysis series, details rapid expansion in the Read More…
The Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) held a public administrative hearing on January 22, 2026, to examine a cybersecurity breach involving Health Care Service Corporation, a mutual legal reserve company doing business as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT). The hearing moved forward after the Lewis and Clark County Read More…
(The Center Square) – Many businesses across Minnesota closed today as part of an ‘economic blackout’ to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This comes in response to calls from community leaders, activists, and union leaders for the event, which has been dubbed “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom.” “The ICE surge that Read More…
(The Center Square) – The second largest natural gas producer in northwest Louisiana and east Texas has sold its assets to Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi. Aethon, a Dallas-based company that operates in the prolific Haynesville shale formation, agreed to a deal worth approximately $7.5 billion, according to an announcement on Friday. Mitsubishi agreed to pay $5.2 Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate increased to 3.3 percent in November, continuing a streak of more than four consecutive years with unemployment at or below 3.4 percent, state officials announced. The state’s jobless rate remained well below the national unemployment rate of 4.6 percent for November, leaving Montana about 1.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. average. Read More…
MoFi, a nonprofit community development financial institution serving Western states, has received an $85 million New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The award comes as part of a record $10 billion allocation round that included 142 organizations nationwide. The New Markets Tax Read More…
NorthWestern Energy Group (NASDAQ: NWE) is moving forward with plans to merge with Black Hills Corp., a deal that could reshape the regional utility landscape, while Wall Street analysts weigh in on the stock. JP Morgan analyst Aidan Kelly maintained a Neutral rating on NorthWestern Energy but raised the price target from $60 to $61, Read More…
OpenAI and SoftBank Group Corp. are jointly investing $1 billion in SB Energy, the infrastructure company helping build out the United States’ next generation of artificial intelligence data centers. Under the agreement, OpenAI and SoftBank will each contribute $500 million to support SB Energy’s growth as a data center developer and operator, the companies announced Read More…
Berkshire Hathaway announced Friday that it has completed its $9.7 billion acquisition of OxyChem from Occidental Petroleum (OXY). OxyChem, a leading chemical manufacturer, will continue to be led by Wade Alleman, OxyChem’s president and chief executive officer, according to Berkshire Hathaway. https://bigskyheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVD-office15.mp4 The acquisition expands Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio in the industrial and chemical sectors and Read More…
The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) has confirmed that an animal from a Gallatin County livestock herd within Montana’s Designated Surveillance Area (DSA) tested positive for brucellosis, marking the second detection of the disease in Montana livestock in 2025. State officials said the affected herd has been placed under quarantine and an epidemiological investigation is Read More…
Warren Buffett, one of the most influential investors in history, has retired as chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of a more than six-decade run that reshaped American business and investing. Buffett, 95, officially stepped down as CEO at the start of the year, handing day-to-day leadership of the Omaha-based conglomerate to Read More…
Wall Street finished the first full trading week of 2026 on a mixed note, with major U.S. indexes posting modest losses for the week as investors digested the end of the holiday trading lull and looked ahead to key economic data and corporate news. Stocks start the year with modest gains but weekly lossesThe Dow Read More…
U.S. stock markets delivered a strong holiday-week performance as major indexes climbed and closed at or near record highs ahead of Christmas, even as trading volumes were light during the shortened session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both hit fresh record closing levels midweek, part of a broad advance across equities Read More…
JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon signaled his backing for former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the U.S. central bank, the Financial Times reported Friday. The comments come amid ongoing speculation over President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve. Earlier Friday, Trump said he was leaning toward either Read More…
SpaceX is moving closer to a public listing, with a secondary share sale indicating a company valuation of $800 billion, according to a letter to shareholders from CFO Bret Johnsen reviewed by Reuters. The Elon Musk-led aerospace company is preparing to go public as early as next year. The move, potentially one of the largest Read More…
Bitcoin-focused company Strategy (MSTR.O) maintained its place in the Nasdaq 100 index on Friday, continuing its year-long presence in the benchmark despite growing questions from analysts over its business model. Some market observers have suggested that Strategy’s pioneering approach of buying and holding bitcoin, which has inspired numerous copycat firms, resembles an investment fund more Read More…
President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at curbing the influence of proxy advisory firms that critics say have prioritized political agendas over the financial interests of American investors. The move is intended to protect retirement savings in 401(k)s, IRAs, and pensions from policies driven by “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) and “environmental, Read More…
More than 32,000 Montana businesses will see a reduction in unemployment insurance (UI) tax rates in 2026, resulting in over $23 million in savings, the Montana Department of Labor & Industry announced. “By reforming our tax code and cutting back the thicket of red tape tying up job creators, we’re helping Montana businesses grow and Read More…
paceX has informed investors and financial institutions that it plans to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) in the second half of 2026, according to a report by The Information on Friday. The rocket company, founded by Elon Musk, is reportedly considering a public listing of the entire company, which could include Starlink, its growing Read More…
Volkswagen Group will invest 160 billion euros—approximately $186 billion—through 2030 as the automaker tightens its long-term spending plans in response to mounting challenges in its two largest markets, CEO Oliver Blume announced this week. The updated figure is part of Volkswagen’s annual rolling five-year investment plan and reflects a continued pullback from previous spending peaks. Read More…
Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has entered into a series of commercial AI agreements with prominent news publishers, including USA Today, People Inc., CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, and Le Monde, the company announced Friday. The partnerships will allow Meta to provide “real-time” news and updates through its AI Read More…
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has agreed to sell its iconic studio and streaming assets to Netflix (NFLX) for $72 billion, a blockbuster deal that will reshape Hollywood and create a vertically integrated media powerhouse. The deal ends a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, coming amid sweeping changes in the media industry as Read More…
Google on Friday withdrew its European Union antitrust complaint targeting Microsoft’s cloud computing practices, just a week after EU regulators opened an investigation into whether Microsoft should face scrutiny under rules designed to curb market dominance in the sector. The EU’s move, announced last week, signaled growing concern about Microsoft’s influence in cloud services, including Read More…
Warburg Pincus has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Raptor Technologies from private equity firm Thoma Bravo, in a transaction valuing the school safety software provider at roughly $1.8 billion, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Sources said the deal could be announced imminently. They requested anonymity because the details are Read More…
Shares of companies that stockpile bitcoin and other digital tokens are coming under renewed pressure as fresh volatility sweeps through the cryptocurrency market, raising concerns about stress in a niche but rapidly expanding corner of the financial world. The selloff follows months of enthusiasm fueled in part by President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance and the Read More…
Starbucks’ workers’ union significantly widened its ongoing strike on Black Friday, extending the walkout to more than 120 stores nationwide—nearly double the number that began the action earlier this month—amid demands for better pay and improved staffing levels. The strike, which the union says is now the longest in Starbucks’ history, began on Nov. 13 Read More…
Texbase, Inc., a leading cloud-based platform that manages supply chain traceability, compliance, certification, and sustainability data for retail, manufacturing, and textile brands, announced today that Randy Harward has joined its Advisory Board. Harward brings more than two decades of experience in product development, materials research, and manufacturing innovation. He spent much of his career at Read More…
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is preparing to take his hedge-fund empire public in a bold two-step move, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Ackman is in early-stage discussions to list both his flagship Pershing Square Capital Management and a new closed-end fund, Pershing Square USA, on the New York Read More…
NorthWestern Energy customers will see lower utility bills and receive refunds with interest after the Montana Public Service Commission finalized a sweeping decision in the company’s 2024 electric and natural gas rate case, rejecting $43 million of the utility’s proposed costs while approving construction of a new Yellowstone County power plant. The decision caps a Read More…
Eli Lilly (LLY.N) hit a historic milestone on Friday, becoming the first pharmaceutical company to reach a $1 trillion market valuation, fueled by soaring demand for its weight-loss treatments. The achievement places Lilly in the rarefied ranks of U.S. companies with trillion-dollar valuations, a group historically dominated by tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Read More…
Any business idea usually starts with an elevator pitch – a concise proposal delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator. University of Montana students interested in entrepreneurship had the chance to perfect their elevator pitches during Griz Pitch, a competition that gave students 60 seconds to share their ideas in front of Read More…
Walt Disney Co. and Google’s YouTube TV have reached a new distribution agreement, ending weeks of disruptions that left millions of viewers without access to Disney-owned channels during major news and sporting events — including coverage surrounding U.S. Election Day. The dispute, which centered on carriage fees, resulted in the temporary removal of popular Disney Read More…
Some of Wall Street’s largest hedge funds reduced their exposure to high-flying “Magnificent Seven” stocks during the third quarter, according to newly released regulatory filings, while adding positions in application software, e-commerce, and payments companies. The group of tech giants — including Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta — has driven much of the market’s gains Read More…