Economic Indicator

Consumer confidence dips after hitting five-year high last month

2013-06-14 09:26:00

WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence unexpectedly dipped this month after reaching its highest point in more than five years in May, but continued to show Americans feeling relatively good about the state of the economy, according to a leading private...

49 states enjoyed GDP growth last year, study says

2013-06-10 14:36:00

All states in the U.S., with the exception of�Connecticut,�saw growth in gross domestic product�last year, a new study says. Leading the way was North Dakota, where a wealth of oil fueled by fracking in the Bakken Shale has led to boom times and a 13.4%...

Auto dealers drive May retail sales up past expectations

2013-06-13 08:19:00

Retail sales improved in May as thawing temperatures and more cheerful shoppers caused a boost at car dealerships and home improvement stores, according to government figures. Last month, the gauge rose 0.6% from April to $421.1 billion in sales -- a 4....

Initial jobless claims drop to 334,000

2013-06-13 06:04:00

WASHINGTON -- New jobless claims dropped more than expected last week, nearing a five-year low and continuing a downward trend this month that bodes well for the labor market. There were 334,000 people who applied for unemployment benefits for the first...

Stop the deficit extremists

2013-06-11 19:51:00

The U.S. economy is improving, yet Congress seems still to be in the grip of the delirium that shrinking the deficit in the near term is still a matter of paramount urgency. That's what's prevented lawmakers from dealing with their real task, which is...

Mortgage debt catches up with the Netherlands

2013-06-08 20:15:00

WEESP, Netherlands — The Dutch dream isn't that different from the American one. Nor is the nightmare that many people have woken up to. Hundreds of thousands of residents rushed to buy homes in the Netherlands as property values rocketed in the...

Retail sales warm up in May amid good weather

2013-06-06 08:17:00

Retail sales in May had their best month since January, as warmer weather and a stock market rally drew out shoppers who had spent March and April cooped up indoors. Same-store sales across the board rose an estimated 3.9%, slightly beating expectations...

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler post healthy May auto sales

2013-06-03 07:18:00

Auto sales rose in May, helped by stronger consumer confidence and a rebound in home sales and construction. General Motors Co., the nation’s largest automaker, said its U.S. sales rose 3.1% in May to 252,894 vehicles compared�with the same...

Consumer confidence surges to near 6-year high

2013-05-31 10:12:00

WASHINGTON -- U.S. consumer confidence has recovered to pre-recession levels, but it's unlikely to stay up for very long.� The University of Michigan said Friday that its index of consumer sentiment jumped to 84.5 at the end of May, from 76.4 in April....

Consumer confidence surges to five-year high

2013-05-28 07:45:00

WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence surged this month to its highest level in more than five years as optimism increased about the state of the economy and its prospects for the rest of the year, according to a closely watched private barometer released...

Stocks jump after home prices, confidence surge

2013-05-28 13:50:00

A rally that brought the stock market to record highs this year came back to life after U.S. home prices rose the most in seven years and consumer confidence reached a five-year high. As stock prices rose investors sold bonds, sending interest rates...

Dow surges nearly 200 points on global rally, U.S. housing report

2013-05-28 07:58:00

NEW YORK -- Stocks surged more than 1% in early trading after unexpectedly strong gains in the U.S. housing market and consumer confidence, following a rally in global markets. The Dow Jones industrial average shot up 199.29 points, or 1.3%, to 15,502....

Consumer confidence is at its lowest level in five months amid the holiday shopping season. Above, a sale at a Pembroke Pines, Fla., mall.

2012-12-14 00:00:00

Consumer spending made its biggest jump in five months in July, according to the Commerce Department.

2012-08-30 08:49:00

Shoppers walk down Madison Avenue in New York. Consumer confidence in July hit a fresh 2012 low amid sluggish hiring and slowing economic growth.

2012-07-27 08:54:22