Where credit card balances are highest, and what it says about a K-shaped economy

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Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure . Where credit card balances are highest, and what it says about a K-shaped economy Kendall Little Senior Writer, Credit Cards Wed, September 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM PDT 6 min read Growing credit card balances are a reality for many Americans in 2026. Since the second quarter of 2025, U.S. credit card balances have increased from $1.21 trillion to $1.26 trillion, according to the New York Fed's Household Debt and Credit Report . Experian data shows average consumer credit card balances are also up slightly, from $6,618 in 2025 to $6,659 today. But debt doesn't look the same for everyone. In many ways, today's credit card debt story mirrors the divide associated with the K-shaped economy : Higher-income consumers are more willing to carry a balance to fund their goals, while lower-income consumers may be accumulating...

How Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Stock Performance Compared to Other Biotech Stocks?

How Is Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Stock Performance Compared to Other Biotech Stocks? Neha Panjwani Wed, September 2, 2026 at 8:44 AM PDT 2 min read VRTX Vertex Pharmaceuticals logo By Midea Boston, Massachusetts-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) develops and commercializes therapies for treating cystic fibrosis (CF). Valued at $139 billion by market cap, the company invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as "large-cap stocks," and VRTX perfectly fits that description, with its market cap exceeding this mark, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the biotechnology industry. VRTX derives its primary competitive strength from its global monopoly in CF treatments, anchored by flagship blockbusters like Trikafta/Katori which generate robust cash flow to fuel its high-impact clinical pipeline. More News from Barchart Dear GameStop Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for September 8 SMCI vs. CoreWeave: 1 AI Infrastructure Model Has the Bigger Opportunity Why Analysts Think Sellas Life Sciences Stock Can Gain 150% From Here Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! Despite its notable strength, VRTX slipped 1.4% from its 52-week high of $555.69, achieved on Aug. 25. Over the past three months, VRTX stock gained 30.1%, underperforming the VanEck Biotech ETF's (BBH) 32% gains during the same time frame. www.barchart.com Shares of VRTX rose 21.9% on a YTD basis and climbed 37.9% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming BBH's YTD 26.8% gains and 44.3% returns over the last year. To confirm the bullish trend, VRTX has been trading above its 200-day moving average since early December, 2025, with some fluctuations. The stock has been trading above its 50-day moving average since early June, with slight fluctuations. www.barchart.com VRTX underperformed due to commercialization hurdles for new non-cystic fibrosis therapies including Journavx and Casgevy, pipeline setbacks like the discontinuation of non-opioid pain drug VX-993, and regulatory pricing scrutiny. On Aug. 3, VRTX shares closed down by 1.3% after reporting its Q2 results. Its adjusted EPS of $4.73 fell short of Wall Street expectations of $4.79. The company's revenue was $3.3 billion, exceeding Wall Street forecasts of $3.2 billion. VRTX expects full-year revenue in the range of $13.1 billion to $13.2 billion. In the competitive arena of biotechnology, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN) has lagged behind the stock, with an 11.1% gain on a YTD basis and an 11.7% uptick over the past 52 weeks. Story Continues Wall Street analysts are reasonably bullish on VRTX's prospects. The stock has a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating from the 30 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $566.65 suggests a potential upside of 3.5% from current price levels. On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was...

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