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Wall Street Futures Slide Amid AI Bubble Concerns

  US stock futures retreated on Tuesday as mounting fears of an AI-driven market bubble weighed heavily on investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures fell 0.7% , marking the worst three-day run for the blue-chip index since April. The Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.8% , while the S&P 500 dropped 0.6% , extending losses from a bruising session earlier this week. The pullback comes ahead of a pivotal Nvidia earnings report , which investors see as a litmus test for the sustainability of the AI boom. Concerns about inflated valuations in the sector have grown, particularly as chipmakers and tech giants face scrutiny over their aggressive expansion into AI infrastructure. Adding to the turbulence, Bitcoin briefly dipped below $90,000 , erasing all of its gains for the year and deepening a global sell-off in cryptocurrencies. The decline rattled Asian markets, with Japanese stocks suffering their steepest loss since April. Meanwhile, 10-year Treasury yields fell , reflec...
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Boxing Day Sales See Smaller Crowds Despite GST Break

 

Retailers across the country experienced smaller crowds and cautious spending on Boxing Day this year, despite the federal government's GST holiday. While the tax break, which makes a variety of items GST-free for two months, did attract some shoppers, many consumers remained hesitant due to ongoing cost of living concerns.

Shoppers at Fairview Mall in Toronto, like Nakul Singal, took advantage of the deals but expressed that the tax break alone wasn't enough to offset the high costs of living**. Singal mentioned, "It's good to shop around during this time, but we're still struggling with expenses, especially housing.

Retail Council of Canada's Matt Poirier noted that businesses faced challenges implementing the tax break on short notice, and some older payment systems struggled to adapt.  An RBC Economics report also indicated that retail spending slowed in November, with holiday spending slightly below 2023 levels over the Black Friday weekend.

Despite these challenges, some retailers, like GameStop in north Toronto, saw an influx of customers eager to benefit from the tax holiday. Assistant store manager Joey Comia-Orellano said, "We've been getting shoppers before Boxing Day, and we expect it to get busier as consumers look to save with Boxing Day deals combined with the tax break."

Overall, while the GST break provided some relief, it wasn't enough to fully counteract the economic pressures faced by many Canadians.




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