Investors always pay close attention to bonds, and what the latest movement in prices and yields is saying about the economy. The 3-month T-Bill right now is paying above 4.3%, annualized. Only Vanguard Group's S&P 500 ETF (VOO) has taken in more new money from investors this year than SGOV, according to ETFAction.com data. Vanguard's Short Term Bond ETF (BSV) is not far behind, with over $4 billion in flows this year, placing within the top 20 among all ETFs in year-to-date flows. "Long duration just doesn't work right now" said Todd Sohn, senior ETF and technical strategist at Strategas Securities, on "ETF Edge." It would seem that Warren Buffett agrees, with Berkshire Hathaway doubling its ownership of T-bills and now owning 5% of all short-term Treasuries, according to a recent JPMorgan report. "The 20-year has gone from negative to positive five times so far this year," she added. Broader market concerns about government spending and deficit levels, especially with a major tax cut bill on the horizon, have added to bond market jitters. Long-term treasuries and long-term corporate bonds have posted negative performance since September, which is very rare, according to Sohn. "It is hard to argue against short-term duration bonds right now," he added. Sohn is advising clients to steer clear of anything with a duration of longer than seven years, which has a yield in the 4.1% range right now. Gallegos says she is concerned that amid the bond market volatility, investors aren't paying enough attention to fixed income as part of their portfolio mix. "My fear is investors are not diversifying their portfolios with bonds today, and investors still have an equity addiction to concentrated broad-based indexes that are overweight certain tech names. They get used to these double-digit returns," she said. Volatility in the stock market has been high this year as well. The S&P 500 rose to record levels in February, before falling 20%, hitting a low in April, and then making back all of those losses more recently. While bonds are an important component of long-term investing to shield a portfolio from stock corrections, Sohn said now is also a time for investors to look beyond the United States within their equity positions. "International equities are contributing to portfolios like they haven't done in a decade" he said. Investors don't have to be loaded up on U.S. large cap growth right now," he said. The S&P 500 posted 20 percent-plus returns in both 2023 and 2024. The iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF (EZU) is up 25% so far this year. The iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) posted performance above 25% in the two-year period prior to 2025, and is up over 10% this year. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Americas+1 212 318 2000 EMEA+44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000 Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Americas+1 212 318 2000 EMEA+44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000 Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple. Apple, a year after debuting its AI platform, will do little at WWDC to show it's catching up to leaders like OpenAI and Google. Also: The latest macOS gets its new California theme; a look at why the company is moving to an iOS 26 and macOS 26 naming system; and details on Apple's dedicated gaming app. Last week in Power On: Jony Ive's deal with OpenAI ups the pressure on Apple to find its next breakthrough product.

Earnings of major U.S. companies and the uncertainty around tariffs continued to impact investor sentiment this week. While the stock market remains volatile, investors seeking consistent returns could add some attractive dividend stocks to their portfolios. In this regard, stock picks of top Wall Street analysts can be helpful, as the recommendations of these experts are based on in-depth analysis of a company's financials and ability to pay dividends. Here are three dividend-paying stocks, highlighted by Wall Street's top pros, as tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. This week's first dividend pick is Home Depot (HD). The home improvement retailer reported mixed results for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 but reaffirmed its full-year guidance. The company expressed its intention to maintain its prices and not increase them in response to tariffs. Following the Q1 FY25 results, Evercore analyst Greg Melich reiterated a buy rating on HD stock with a price target of $400. Melich contends that while Home Depot's headline results appear ordinary, he believes that a notable inflection has begun. The analyst highlighted certain positives in Home Depot's Q1 performance, including stabilizing traffic, improving shrink (inventory lost due to theft or other reasons) rates, and acceleration in online sales growth to 8% after staying lower than 5% since Q3 FY22. "HD remains a benchmark retailer, investing in technology, multichannel and stores, even while current demand remains low," concluded Melich. He continues to believe that once the macro environment improves, Home Depot could be the "next great Consumer/Retail breakout multiple stock" like Costco in 2023 and Walmart in 2024. Next on this week's list is Diamondback Energy (FANG), an independent oil and gas company that is focused on onshore reserves, mainly in the Permian Basin in West Texas. However, given the ongoing commodity price volatility, Diamondback reduced its full-year activity to maximize free cash flow generation. Meanwhile, the company returned $864 million to shareholders in Q1 2025 through stock repurchases and a base dividend of $1.00 per share. FANG's Q1 2025 capital return represented roughly 55% of adjusted free cash flow. Based on the base and variable dividends paid over the past 12 months, FANG stock offers a dividend yield of nearly 3.9%. Hanold noted that while the company lowered its 2025 capital budget by $400 million or 10% to $3.4 - $3.8 billion, the production outlook was cut by only 1%. The analyst stated that Diamondback's move to reduce its capital spending plan increased his free cash flow estimate by 7% over the next 18 months. Hanold thinks that the company's decision will not weigh on its operational momentum or the ability to efficiently return to its 500 Mb/d productive capacity. Commenting on FANG's free cash flow priorities, Hanold noted that the company is tracking ahead of its 50% minimum shareholder return target, thanks to stock buybacks amid the pullback in shares, mainly during early April. Overall, Hanold's bullish thesis on FANG stock remains intact, and he believes that "FANG has one of the lowest cost structures in the basin and a corporate cash flow break-even (including dividend) that is among the best in the industry." 17 among more than 9,500 analysts tracked by TipRanks. See Diamondback Energy Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks. Another dividend-paying energy stock in this week's list is ConocoPhillips (COP). Given a volatile macro environment, the company reduced its full-year capital and adjusted operating cost guidance but maintained its production outlook. Following investor meetings with management in Boston, Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta reiterated a buy rating on COP stock with a price target of $119. Mehta highlighted that management sees significant uncertainty in oil prices in the near term due to concerns about economic growth and voluntary production cuts by OPEC+. That said, the company is bullish about long-term gas prices. Meanwhile, the analyst expects COP's breakeven to shift lower in the times ahead, with major growth projects on track. Mehta stated that while the benchmark price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil – also known as WTI – breakeven (before dividend) is in the mid $40s in 2025, he sees the breakeven heading towards the low $30s once COP's LNG spending comes down and production at its Willow project in Alaska comes online in 2029. Commenting on COP's shareholder returns, Mehta stated that management acknowledged that their decision not to stick with the $10 billion capital return target led to short-term volatility in COP stock. That said, COP still offers a "compelling" return, which Mehta estimates will be 8%. 568 among more than 9,500 analysts tracked by TipRanks. See ConocoPhillips Hedge Fund Trading Activity on TipRanks. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Americas+1 212 318 2000 EMEA+44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000 Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world Americas+1 212 318 2000 EMEA+44 20 7330 7500 Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000 A Coach store in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing. Ultra-luxury is losing its luster — and mid-tier competitors are capitalizing. Industry bellwether LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, which reported weaker-than-expected sales in the latest quarter, was accused of selling a Dior bag that costs about $60 to make for $2,800. Meanwhile, Tapestry Inc.'s Coach is cashing in on cool with its $495 Tabby bag — a viral hit that costs a fraction of a similar shoulder bag from Dior or Chanel.

House Republicans passed a multi-trillion-dollar tax and spending package after months of debate, which included many of President Donald Trump's priorities. Now, policy experts are bracing for Senate changes as GOP lawmakers aim to finalize the "big bill" by the Fourth of July. If enacted as currently drafted, the House's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" would make permanent Trump's 2017 tax cuts, while adding new tax breaks for tip income, overtime pay and older Americans, among other provisions. More from Personal Finance:What the House GOP budget bill means for your moneyHouse bill calls for bigger 'pass-through' business tax breakWhat Medicaid and SNAP cuts in House bill mean for benefits The House bill also approved historic spending cuts to programs for low-income families, including Medicaid health coverage and SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. "Overall, the [Senate] bill is not going to be that much different," said Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Here are some other issues to watch during negotiations, policy experts say. With control of Congress, Republicans are using a process called "budget reconciliation," which bypasses the Senate filibuster and only needs a simple majority vote to clear the upper chamber. But some GOP senators have cost concerns about the House-approved bill. Other cost estimates for the House-passed reconciliation bill have ranged between $2 to $3 trillion over 10 years. Under reconciliation, the Senate bill also must follow the "Byrd Rule," which bans anything unrelated to federal revenue or spending. After the Senate vote, House lawmakers must approve changes to the bill, which could be tricky with a slim Republican majority. "That's where the fight is really going to happen," Gleckman said. Enacted by Trump via the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA, of 2017, the $10,000 cap has been a key issue for certain lawmakers in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California. Before TCJA, filers who itemized tax breaks could claim an unlimited deduction on state and local income taxes, along with property taxes. After lengthy debate, House Republicans approved a $40,000 SALT limit. If enacted, the higher cap would apply to 2025 and phase out for incomes over $500,000. But the SALT limit is likely to be lower than $40,000 after Senate negotiations, experts say. Staying closer to the current $10,000 cap "seems like a very natural place to start," but the final number could be higher, said Alex Muresianu, senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation. After that, the credit's top value would revert to $2,000 and be indexed for inflation. But some senators, including Josh Hawley, R-Mo., have called for a bigger tax break. Vice President JD Vance also floated a higher child tax credit during the campaign in August. With the House-approved tax breaks favoring higher earners, "there's some recognition that they need to do a little more" for families, Gleckman said. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

A US Navy contract to move sailors' server-stored records to a secure cloud system was recently torpedoed as part of DOGE-led cuts that show how top officials are under pressure to find large cost-savings even over the objections of their own organizations. An IT services provider named Pantheon received a $170 million contract last year to relocate the records threatened by flooding from a Tennessee data center to cloud storage. An internal memo reviewed by BI highlighted that the system that DOGE recommended reverting to has been plagued by delays, a bloated budget, and little to show for it all. But none of that is true, three sources familiar with the contract said, arguing this was hype from Navy leaders eager to offer up juicy cuts to DOGE officials to boost their own standing. The "decision, driven by demonstrably false and misleading claims, directly contradicts the Administration's goals of cutting waste, improving efficiency, and reforming failing IT programs," a second internal document says. If the archaic data center in Tennessee floods, as Navy HR officials fear, the impact to personnel would be excruciating, sources said, hampering salary payments, recruiting efforts, and stalling promotions. "We were making good progress," said one Navy official familiar with the efforts, a tough chore considering that dozens of interconnected systems feed data throughout each other system for Pantheon's 500 data workers to map out. Military.com first reported the contract's cancelation last week, and potential impacts to sailors' careers. Sources told BI that oversight passed only recently to the Navy's Chief Information Officer, Jane Rathburn. Internal documents reviewed by BI noted that the CIO's office told DOGE officials that the contract was duplicative, and that the government would be better served relying on old software known colloquially as "NP2." What's more, the old NP2 system has its own problems. Sources said that by the time Pantheon arrived, the legacy software's price tag had ballooned to an eye-watering $1 billion over the last five years in Tennessee, with no real progress to show. A source with knowledge of Pantheon's work, and who voiced support for DOGE goals of improved efficiency, noted that the NP2 program requires staffing and oversight from the Navy. He suggested that rendering NP2 obsolete — in part by through contracts like Pantheon's — could mark some government offices and jobs for elimination. The debacle began to unfold just before Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the DoD to curb IT contracts, and instead "in-source more expertise and harness the unparalleled talent of our existing experts," according to a memo released this week. Navy leaders underscored to DOGE officials that government employees could instead tackle the cloud migration efforts. But internal memos decried such a move, noting that government personnel have not performed any of the hundreds of previous migrations, and calling such an idea "not financially responsible." Navy spokesperson Ferry Gene Baylon told Business Insider that the contract was canceled based on recommendations from DOGE. "The Navy is focused on the wellbeing of the men and women who serve as we look to optimize resources essential to Navy personnel systems, pay management, and operational readiness," Baylon wrote in an email, adding that "it would be premature to comment on the details of future contracts." That the data in Tennessee will continue to be at-risk rather than proceeding with Pantheon will inevitably hurt sailors, the Navy official said, adding that amid years of recruiting challenges, the service's ability to retain its force depends on paychecks. "If you can't pay them or promote them correctly, you're not going to keep people," the official said. Where Big Tech secrets go public — unfiltered in your inbox weekly.

An analysis of ADP payroll data showed the share of new hires in March who were boomerang workers, or former employees, increased since it cooled down in 2022, when quitting was popular during the Great Resignation. That share was especially pronounced in the information sector this year, which includes tech and media positions. Employers may turn to past workers for an opening. "In an era where the outlook on the jobs market is fuzzy or uncertain, it makes sense for both employers and employees to stick with what they know," Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist, told Business Insider. Richardson said employers may want former workers to fill open roles because they know the company culture and can be easier to onboard. "You want to get the best bang for your buck, and often it's a returning employee," Richardson said. Meanwhile, job seekers are facing a grueling search for new gigs. It's taking longer for people to get hired, big company names like Walmart have announced layoffs, and some people are willing to take any job they can find or accept lower pay. Given the rise of boomerang hires, keeping on good terms with old employers could be a smart move. Even if you're not looking for work right now, it could be crucial to think about your skills, job performance, and work relationships if the job market slows down further and if more companies decide to make job cuts. "When I was talking with hiring managers during the Great Resignation, I think they set the scene for what we're seeing now because those managers stopped thinking about employee exits as a final goodbye and started thinking about it as a revolving door," Richardson said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering visiting Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump before a mid-month summit of the Group of Seven nations as he seeks a trade deal, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday. Japanese officials see signs of progress on easing Trump's tariffs after repeated visits by top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, and say the U.S. side has shown strong interest in Japan's proposals, the Yomiuri said, citing Japanese government officials it did not name. Economy Minister Akazawa will return to Washington for more talks later this week, after which a decision will be made on a U.S. trip by Ishiba, the newspaper said. The White House and the Japanese prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours. Speaking to reporters upon returning on Sunday from his fourth round of negotiations, Akazawa said talks are progressing towards an agreement but that the form of negotiations before the G-7 summit was yet to be decided. Trump said on Friday he planned to double the tariffs on all imported steel and aluminium to 50%. He said Trade Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not mention them during the most recent negotiations. Some Japanese government officials hope an agreement can be announced in time for Trump's birthday on June 14, the Yomiuri said. Akazawa said on Friday the two sides had "agreed to accelerate the talks and hold another round ahead of the G-7 summit," to be held from June 15 to 17 in Canada. But he said there would be no deal without U.S. concessions on tariffs, including on autos. Ishiba has said bilateral negotiations were progressing on trade expansion, non-tariff measures and economic security, while Tokyo has mentioned possible increases in its purchases of U.S. military equipment and energy, as well as cooperation on shipbuilding and repairing U.S. warships in Japan. We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Some European companies are growing wary about sending their employees to the U.S. It comes amid volatile policymaking by the Trump administration, more stringent immigration checks, and an uptick in reports of detentions and deportations. Some businesses CNBC spoke to, in areas including engineering and accounting, stressed that their work trips to the U.S. continued unabated. But others, usually in more politically sensitive fields, flagged employee welfare concerns. Their responses ranged from issuing new travel guidance — such as advising workers to bring wiped electronic devices or entering the U.S. via Canada — to encouraging attendance at U.S. events or conferences online where possible. Business travel is a significant revenue source for the U.S. economy. Business travel is also a key revenue-maker for the aviation industry, generating between 50% and 75% of profit for airlines in many cases. Any chilling effect would also come with international tourism expected to be dented this year, costing $12.5 billion in spending, due to negative perceptions of trade and immigration policy. Border control and foreign visas have been highly charged issues since President Donald Trump took office in January, with reports of tourists being held in detention centres for long periods. Relations between the U.S. administration and the academic community have also soured, following moves to pause international student visa issuance and "aggressively revoke" visas for Chinese students, as well as the detention of some foreign students on apparently political grounds. "We're hearing some international travellers have expressed unease about visiting the U.S. due to increased visa scrutiny, social media monitoring, and incidents of detention or deportation despite valid documents," said Prashray Kala, a partner at management consultancy Everest Group. Announced April 30, this policy means that anyone with a U.S. visa will lose their immigration status after one strike for any violation of U.S. law, regardless of severity. One European fund manager who frequently travels to the U.S. for business said he was concerned immigration authorities at airports could hinder his travel plans due to a change in political attitude, rather than policy. "Business travel on an ESTA [visa] is no longer what it used to be", the fund manager said. The head of an international non-government organization with headquarters in London told CNBC that they had devised a new travel protocol for the U.S. The policy goes beyond their usual requirements for information about an employee's movements and contact details, into issues around physical and information security. The NGO produces investigative reports into topics spanning climate change, corporate malpractice and corruption. "On one level for us as an organization, that shouldn't really require us to break into a sweat, we do that for lots of places that our staff travel to," the NGO chief executive said. "But from a personal perspective, this is very illuminating — in a not very pleasant way — because these are the sorts of things I think about when I travel to, say, China or Azerbaijan, autocratic regimes. Examples include taking "burner" phones or computers only used for the trip, and preparing employees for scenarios in which they are aggressively questioned about their travel intentions or things they have published online, they said. Separately, an academic researcher at a university in Switzerland told CNBC that they had been provided with guidance to ideally travel into the U.S. via Canada where possible, or to attend conferences virtually to avoid any visa complications. They noted that some of their colleagues were still making trips to the U.S. without incident, but others had been questioned at the border for longer, and some had decided not to attend summer academic conferences stateside. Visiting programs to U.S. universities have been particularly affected and even put on hold, they added. "There's always this question of how you separate out the outright bluster from what might be substantive and might actually be acted on. I think probably this time around, we take more of the bluster seriously." Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox