msnbc.com: Stocks & economy

Economists see joblessness bottoming out

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:09:14 GMT

Economists expect the joblessness that has weighed down the nation's economic recovery will start to slowly abate in 2010.

Economics - Social Sciences - Business - Forecasting and Consulting - Directories

Lots of news for investors in shortened week

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:25:58 GMT

Investors are heading toward the final month of the year with more questions about the economy than they had just a few weeks ago.

Arts - Organizations - Organ - Music - Keyboard

Dow ends week up despite 3 days of losses

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:16:38 GMT

The stock market ended a down week with light selling as investors grew uneasy about a rising dollar and spiking demand for the safest government debt.

Business - Investing - Commodities and Futures - Stocks and Bonds - Advisory Services

RV industry no longer running on empty

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:43:17 GMT

There are signs of recovery in the nation's heartland, including Elkhart, Ind., but the rebound is faint, uneven and faces many threats.

Recreational vehicle - Elkhart Indiana - United States - Indiana - Thor Industries

Long-term unemployed face dwindling options

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:04:28 GMT

For Lawrie Covey and millions of other unemployed workers, life remains a day-to-day struggle. Instead of working on RVs in a factory, she may soon be living in one.

Unemployment - Business - Financial services - Health - Insurance

Senate panel to consider Bernanke nomination

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:37:32 GMT

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's nomination to a second term will be the subject of a Senate Banking Committee hearing next month, the panel's chairman said Friday.

Ben Bernanke - Chairman of the Federal Reserve - United States Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs - Federal Reserve System - Government

Pace of job losses slows in many states

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:52:21 GMT

In a sharp improvement, more than half of U.S. states added jobs in October, though economists said many of the gains likely occurred in temporary employment.

Natural gas falls 15 percent this month

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:26:47 GMT

Natural gas prices have dropped by more than 12 percent in the past month as the country continues to sip at its energy reserves and a balmy November allowed homeowners to leave the heat off.

Smucker's profit surges after acquiring Folgers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:39:20 GMT

J.M. Smucker Co.'s acquisition of Folgers Coffee Co. continues to pay off for the jam maker, helping to more than double its fiscal second-quarter profit, as consumers continue to turn to the company's well-known brands and eat at home more during the recession.

J.M. Smucker Co - Folgers - Beverages - Business - Food

Europe: Drop some financial system crutches

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:34 GMT

It is time to withdraw some of the policy measures that supported the financial system through the credit crunch, ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet says.

European Central Bank - Jean-Claude Trichet - Business - Financial Services - Banking Services

Watchdog: Stimulus job creation data flawed

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:14:34 GMT

The government watchdog overseeing economic stimulus spending said Thursday that, in its rush to take credit for saving hundreds of thousands of jobs, the Obama administration was overly confident in its job-counting.

White House - Job creation program - Employment - Fiscal policy - United States

Survey: Economic recovery will be sluggish

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:01:23 GMT

A private forecast of economic activity over the next six months edged up less than expected in October, signaling slow, bumpy growth next year.

Economics - Social Sciences - United States - Economic Development - Business

Mortgage delinquencies hit record high

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:37:16 GMT

A rising proportion of fixed-rate home loans made to people with good credit are sinking into foreclosure, adding to concerns about the strength of the economic recovery.

Mortgage - Foreclosure - Business - United States - Financial Services

Jobless claims show layoffs ebbing

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:37:16 GMT

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for jobless insurance was unchanged last week, but the four-week moving average of claims dropped to its lowest in almost a year.

Insurance - United States - Jobless claims - Business - Financial Services

Dell profit falls 54 percent amid PC slump

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:12:58 GMT

Dell Inc. said Thursday that its net income dropped 54 percent in the latest quarter and amid signs the company isn't fully benefiting from the computer industry's fledgling recovery.

Dell - Personal computer - Hewlett-Packard - Services - United States

Sears posts second consecutive quarterly loss

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:40:14 GMT

Sears Holdings Corp. said Thursday it lost money for the second consecutive quarter as customers spent elsewhere even as the retailer offered a series of early holiday season promotions to bring them back to its brands.

Retailing - Sears Holdings Corporation - Christmas and holiday season - Sears Holdings - Programs

NYT: ‘Glitch’ could cost a million jobless

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:48:07 GMT

About one million laid-off workers will see their unemployment benefits end in January unless Congress acts quickly to renew existing federally paid extensions.

Business - Insurance - Employee benefit - Financial Services - Agents and Marketers

Similar counties, but stimulus impact miles apart

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:08 GMT

If you want to win the stimulus sweepstakes, it helps to have one of the planet's nastiest toxic waste sites in your back yard.

Environment - Recycling - Business - Waste management - Waste

Obama warns of 'double-dip recession'

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:40:35 GMT

President Barack Obama gave his sternest warning yet about the need to contain rising U.S. deficits, saying on Wednesday that if government debt were to pile up too much, it could lead to a double-dip recession.

Barack Obama - United States - Government debt - Recession - U.S

Housing starts drop 10.6 percent in October

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:54:14 GMT

Construction of new homes plunged last month as builders waited to see whether lawmakers would extend a tax credit for homebuyers.

Housing starts - Tax credit - Business and Economy - Business - Property

Consumer prices rise modestly in October

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:24:48 GMT

Consumer prices edged up faster than expected in October, driven higher by another increase in energy prices and the biggest jump in new car prices in 28 years.

Inflation - Recession - Economy - Government - US

One in four metro areas in recovery mode

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:04:51 GMT

100 metro areas — one out of four across the U.S. — has started to recover, according to the latest Adversity Index from Moody's Economy.com and msnbc.com.

Economy.com - Moody - msnbc.com - U.S - United States

Geithner warns lack of loans may slow recovery

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:15 GMT

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday called on banks to "get back to the business of lending" and said a tough credit environment for small businesses will slow economic recovery.

Business - Small business - United States Secretary of the Treasury - Timothy Geithner - Financial services

Production slips; wholesale inflation is tame

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:41:07 GMT

Factory production declined in October, signaling that U.S. consumers and businesses remain cautious in their spending and suggesting a sluggish economic recovery.

Inflation - Energy - Government - Education - Grade Inflation

Nations boost demand for long-term U.S. assets

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:39:10 GMT

Foreign demand for long-term U.S. financial assets rose in September as China and other countries boosted their holdings of Treasury securities.

China - United States Treasury security - Asset - Business - Financial Services

Bernanke: Fed will keep eye on sliding dollar

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:23:59 GMT

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Monday said the central bank will keep a close eye on the sliding U.S. dollar even as he pledged anew to keep interest rates at record lows.

Ben Bernanke - Federal Reserve System - Central bank - Chairman of the Federal Reserve - Government

Leaps of faith holding up the stock market

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:54:44 GMT

With a close over 10,220 on Nov. 9, the Dow Jones had its best showing of 2009.

Stock market - Dow Jones & Company - Business - Investing - Stocks and Bonds

Consumer sentiment falls to lowest in 3 months

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:03 GMT

U.S. consumer sentiment fell in early November to the weakest in three months amid grim expectations for job and income prospects, a survey showed on Friday.

United States - Consumer Confidence Index - Home - Consumer Information - Advocacy and Protection

Move over, feds, as locals try stimulus too

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:24:08 GMT

As Elkhart and other areas show steps toward economic recovery, local governments are also trying to help business along by providing tax incentives — a strategy that experts say to use with caution.

Business - Local government - Tax - Accounting - Taxation

J.C. Penney's profit drops, outlook brightens

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:23:50 GMT

J.C. Penney Co. is reporting a 78 percent drop in its third-quarter earnings because of a big expense to fund its pension plan.

J. C. Penney - Pension - Business - J.C. Penney - Abercrombie & Fitch

Disney CEO hints at successor as profits rise

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:04:15 GMT

The Walt Disney Co. posted a surprise 18 percent increase in fourth-quarter earnings Thursday and announced an executive job switch that might point to an eventual successor to Chief Executive Robert Iger.

Walt Disney Company - Robert Iger - Chief executive officer - Movies - Studios

Obama administration faults Senate bank bill

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:51:39 GMT

The Obama administration on Friday pushed back against a proposal in the U.S. Senate to create a single bank super-regulator and strip the Federal Reserve of its supervisory powers.

Federal Reserve System - Presidency of Barack Obama - United States Senate - Business - Federal Reserve

U.S. trade gap widens more than expected

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:32:02 GMT

The U.S. trade deficit widened in September by an unexpectedly large 18.2 percent, the most in more than 10 years.

Balance of trade - Economic - Business - US - United States

Warren Buffett: Financial panic is over

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:42:11 GMT

Capitalism is still alive and well, say the world's two richest men, despite lingering shocks from the longest, deepest recession since the Great Depression.

Warren Buffett - United States - Business - Financial crisis - Financial Services

Jobless claims fall to lowest level since January

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:44:01 GMT

Fewer people are claiming unemployment benefits — but still too many to signal that the economy is close to gaining jobs.

Jobless claims - Unemployment benefits - Labour economics - Business - Insurance

Pay czar concerned firms could lose talent

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:37:33 GMT

The Obama administration's pay czar said Thursday that he is "very concerned" about scaring away top talent at seven firms that took the biggest bailouts.

Presidency of Barack Obama - Barack Obama - United States - Business - Obama administration

NYT: Under attack, Bernanke studies politics

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:54:44 GMT

As the Federal Reserve has come under increased scrutiny, Ben Bernanke, its chairman, is nurturing political ties.

Ben Bernanke - Federal Reserve System - Finance - Central bank - Government

Of bats and billions: Following stimulus funds

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:27:24 GMT

As reports and data generated by the federal Recovery Act pile up, tracking stimulus outlays and results is fast becoming a hot cyber parlor game. Msnbc.com's Mike Stuckey reports.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - Business - Recovery Act - Investing - Sports