ISM

Service-Sector Job Growth in April Slowest in 9 Months

The pace of growth in the vast U.S. services sector slowed in April to its weakest pace in nine months, an industry report shows.

Service Firms Grew at a Slower Pace in March, Survey Finds

U.S. service companies expanded in March at a slower pace, dragged down by less growth in new orders and weaker hiring, a new survey shows.

Soaring Oil Sends Stocks Sliding and Gold to a Record

The first trading day of the month is usually good to equities, but after a two-day respite, stocks went back back to broad-based declines. The sharp rise in oil prices overshadowed some encouraging corporate and economic news.

Week in Preview: Jobs, UPS Earnings and More

The all-important January employment reports come out this week. Also worth watching for are a host of earnings releases, led by economic bellwhether UPS. The package deliverer is expected to post strong results.

Stocks Rally to Ring in the First Session of 2011

Wall Street started the new year with a robust jump, helped by encouraging corporate and economic news that pushed the broad market to a 28-month high. The S&P 500 has now reclaimed nearly 90% of its losses from the bear-market bottom of March 2009.

Service Sector Picks Up Speed, Growing at Fastest Pace Since May

Services sector, like manufacturing, continues to hold up its part of the recovery bargain, as the sector expanded at the fastest pace in six months. The U.S. economy is still growing well below its potential, but investors, business executives, and job seekers alike can head in to 2011 knowing that the services sector will continue to add to GDP growth and jobs as the new year begins.

U.S. Manufacturing Grew a Bit Slower in November

A key U.S. manufacturing index unexpectedly dipped slightly in November, but it remained at a level that indicates that the industrial expansion continues. Led by export demand, the factory sector expanded for the 16th consecutive month.

Week in Preview: Unemployment, Home Prices and the Fed

Black Friday has come and gone and the holiday shopping season is off and running. In addition to keeping on eye on how retailers are doing, there will be plenty of economic data for analysts and investors to peruse on this week. Highlights include new numbers on manufacturing, employment and new vehicle sales.

Service Sector Expands at Fastest Pace in Three Months

The U.S. service sector unexpectedly grew at a faster pace in October -- and if conditions in the giant sector continue to improve, that would likely lead to increased service sector hiring, as companies increase production to meet rising demand.

A Flurry of Market-Moving Data on Deck

Calling all investors: You'll want to pay close attention in the days ahead. The mid-term elections, FOMC meeting, retail sales figures, an update on the labor market and more earnings from Toyota, Starbucks and more could set the stage for quite an interesting week on Wall Street.

Stocks Soar on Services Growth and Japan's Rate Cut

The Dow surged nearly 200 points, while inflation fears propelled gold to another record close. The Institute for Supply Management said its services index rose to 53.2 last month from 51.5 in August. Economists had expected the measure to rise to 52.

Strong News From the Services Sector

The ISM services index grew at a better-than-expected pace in September, signaling continued economic growth -- and lowering the risk of a double-dip recession. Stock markets are reacting with a powerful surge.

Factory Orders Rise, but Not as Much as Expected

Factory orders rose just 0.1% in July, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Thursday in a report that further clarified that the manufacturing sector's expansion slowed down this summer. While the statistic did indicate tepid growth, it was less than the 0.3% gain economists had predicted.

Wall Street Kicks Off September With a Rally

Stocks started a traditionally tough month for the market with sharp gains Wednesday after a key report on U.S. manufacturing came in much better than expected. The major indexes rose over 2.5%.

Week in Preview: More Housing and Employment Data

Investors nervous about a stalled economic recovery -- or possibly the second dip of a double-dip recession -- will watch for this week's economic data, including construction and consumer spending, factory orders and August jobless figures.

U.S. Manufacturing Expansion Slowed Slightly in July

Growth in manufacturing slowed in July. Even so, the sector registered its 12th straight month of expansion and employment and prices rose.

Service Sector Growth Slows in June

The June service sector report from the the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) shows slower growth heading into the second half of the year. The group's non-manufacturing index fell from a more robust reading in May. Despite the drop, the June number still indicates growth, just at a lower rate.