US Economy - Page 14

AP - The nation's manufacturing sector shook off the housing slowdown in February, expanding faster than expected and reversing the prior month's contraction, a trade group said Thursday. More Info...  

Reuters - U.S. consumers spent more than expected in January and manufacturing unexpectedly rose in February, according to reports on Thursday that suggested the economy was poised to grow even as inflation remained a risk.

Reuters - U.S. incomes rose much more sharply than expected in January, while spending and core consumer price growth also outpaced forecasts, a government report showed on Thursday. More Info...  

Reuters - The number of U.S. workers filing for first-time jobless benefits rose 7,000 last week, pushing the four-week moving average of new claims to its highest level in more than a year, a government report showed on Thursday.

FT.com - Japanese stocks continued to fall on Thursday on fears about the US economy and global security. More Info...  

Economy News AP - The economy turned in a much weaker performance in the final quarter of 2006 than initially thought, and new-home sales tumbled in January by the most in 13 years, suggesting more business lethargy ahead. More Info...  

AP - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke faced his first market crisis with a calm, matter-of-fact demeanor that won praise from lawmakers and economists alike.

FT.com - #Douglas Peta, market strategist at J&W Seligman & Co: "At this stage we are looking at a one-day event and while markets will probably bounce around over the next week, the US economy is still doing reasonably well and I don't think this is the end of the bull market."#Albert Edwards, strategist at Dresdner Kleinwort: "At the core of this correction has been worries over the US economy. More Info...  

FT.com - US Treasuries sold off on Wednesday and other sovereign markets were mixed in the wake of reassuring comments on the outlook for the US economy by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve. More Info...  

Reuters - The U.S. economy grew at a tepid 2.2 percent pace at the end of 2006, much weaker than first thought, while new home sales last month had their biggest drop in 13 years, according to data released on Wednesday that showed a soft economy.

FT.com - A rally on Wall Street supported by some upbeat comments on the US economy by Ben Bernanke helped to steady equity investor nerves a little on Wednesday. More Info...  

AFP - The US economy expanded at a tepid 2.2 percent pace in the fourth quarter, the government said Wednesday in a sharp downward revision of its earlier estimate of 3.5 percent growth.

Reuters - Mortgage applications for U.S. home purchases and refinancing rose last week when long-term borrowing costs dipped, an industry trade group said on Wednesday, but other housing measures were mixed. More Info...  

Reuters - Sales of new U.S. homes fell 16.6 percent in January and prices were little changed as the number of new homes on the market decreased slightly, according to a government report on Wednesday showing some weakness in the unsteady housing sector.

AP - Inflation in the 13 nations that share the euro currency slowed by more than expected to 1.8 percent in January, the EU statistics agency said Wednesday, a figure that may undermine the European Central Bank's case for raising interest rates again next month. More Info...  

Economy News

AP - Alan Greenspan and the Wall Street nosedive aside, economists think the probability of a U.S. recession this year is fairly low and the likelihood of one in China is even slimmer.

AP - About 70,000 workers missed days on the job because of labor disputes last year, only about one-fourth as many as a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More Info...  

Reuters - Existing home sales posted their largest gain in two years last month, a sign the housing market may be climbing out of a slump, but orders for big-ticket factory goods fell as businesses showed wariness about the economy's health.

AP - Consumer confidence rose to its highest level in five-and-a-half years amid optimism that the nation's economy is creating enough jobs, a private research group said Tuesday. More Info...  

Reuters - New orders for U.S.-made durable goods fell by a much sharper-than-expected 7.8 percent in January as nondefense goods orders saw their biggest monthly decline ever, a government report showed on Tuesday.