Stephens, an independent financial services firm, announced William Holmes and Grace Wages joined the firm’s Private Wealth Management division as Financial Consultants. They are based in Stephens’ Atlanta, GA office.

Stephens, an independent financial services firm, announced the firm’s Private Wealth Management has hired Josh McCord as a Vice President and Financial Consultant.

<strong>STAR Mayan Limited has been sold to K-Bro Systems, Inc.</strong> | £107 Million | 05/01/2025

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The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has released its advance estimate for second-quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reporting a robust 3.0% annualized growth rate. This marks a notable rebound from the 0.5% contraction recorded in Q1 2025.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee announced its July policy decision earlier today, voting to maintain the federal funds rate in the target range of 4.25% to 4.50%, in line with broad market expectations.

The Labor Department reported that <strong>initial jobless claims</strong> declined for a sixth straight week last week, underscoring the resilience of the labor market. First time claims in regular state programs recorded 217,000 for the week ending July 19th, after the prior week’s report of 221,000. The four-week moving average dropped to 224,500 from 229,500 the prior week. Continuing claims, a proxy for people who are already receiving benefits and still cannot find a job, edged higher by 4,000 to 1,955,000 for the week ending July 12th. The insured unemployment rate, the number of people currently receiving unemployment insurance as a percentage of the labor force, remained at 1.3%.

Succession planning is rarely straightforward, especially for family-owned businesses with a rich history and deep community ties. That is the reality for many American dealerships, where ownership transitions often involve broader considerations beyond the financials.

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