Good morning and welcome to Markets Desk, your midday read on what's moving markets and the broader economy.
Washington's push to revive coal is running headlong into basic economics. Cheap natural gas flowing out of Texas and Louisiana continues to undercut coal on price, and no amount of federal policy can override that math. When the commodity markets speak, they tend to have the final word.
Shifting from energy to media, Apple TV Plus is raising subscription prices effective immediately, adding cost pressure to households already scrutinizing their streaming bills. Shows like Ted Lasso and Severance are getting more expensive to follow, and with consumers stretched thin, every price hike is a retention test for platforms competing for that discretionary dollar.
And in the agricultural pits, soybeans are pushing double digits higher in Friday morning trade, gaining eight to eleven cents on the session after a modest Thursday close. The cmdtyView national average cash bean price is sitting at twelve dollars and thirty-two and a half cents, and open interest remains relatively thin, so this morning's move bears watching for follow-through into the afternoon session.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
