Walmart on Thursday reported higher profits, but offered a weak forecast for the months ahead. The problem? The poor and middle-class Americans Walmart caters to -- and who are big drivers of U.S. spending -- are struggling with rising gas prices, delayed tax refunds and higher payroll taxes.
Markets surged as soon as the calendar turned to 2013 and kept rising for much of the month, pushing the Dow Jones industrial average to near-record levels. February started off equally strong. But some watchers worry that the market may have gotten ahead of itself.
After five rough years, we could be on the cusp of a new economic boom. Not like the mid-1980s or late 1990s, mind you. But the odds that the next five years will be markedly better than the last five years are good, and growing better by the day.
Barack Obama has been re-elected as the president of the United States. A nail-bitingly close election, with the economy consistently being named as the top issue, has been decided. Here are a few things to keep in mind for the days to come.
According to our exclusive (but unscientific) poll two-thirds of respondents felt one candidate would be better for the country economically. But does history back up their opinions about which party's presidents bring growth and which bring stagnation? You may be surprised.
Baby boomers were handed the American dream. They enjoyed a jobs boom, falling income tax rates, rising wages and a soaring Dow -- all part of an unprecedented "demographic dividend." And the inheritance they are leaving for the next generations: a giant economic mess.
The price of oil slipped below $92 a barrel on Monday as closely watched surveys showed the global economy remains weak. By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for November delivery was down 47 cents to $91.72 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Caterpillar, the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment, is cutting its long-term growth outlook. And that's bad news for all around, because this industrial giant's not just a company, it's a global economic bellwether.
FedEx says the global economy is worsening and it's again cutting its forecast for the fiscal year ending in May. The package delivery company also expects net income for the current quarter ending in November to fall well below last year's quarter.
Small business owners are getting a little more optimistic about how their companies will do after the election, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business.
A gauge of future U.S. economic activity improved in July on a drop in new claims for jobless benefits and an increase in housing permits, although the reading still pointed to sluggish growth ahead.
The outlook for the U.S. economy appeared dimmer Monday after a report that Americans spent less at retail businesses for a third straight month in June.
Stock futures are rising with a new survey suggesting that economists are a bit more optimistic about housing and employment. The National Association for Business Economists' forecasters expect modest growth for the rest of 2012, with the pace picking up in 2013.
Demand for U.S. factory goods fell by 1.5% in March -- the biggest drop in three years -- driven by a sharp decline in orders for commercial aircraft. But airplane orders are a volatile statistic, and more recent data suggest the dip may be temporary. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that orders for factory goods fell 1.5%, the steepest decline since March 2009, when the economy was mired in recession. Orders rose 1.1% in February.
Two new surveys suggest that financial optimism is on the rise. But even with the improving numbers, among average Americans, those who are upbeat about their personal finances are outnumbered by the pessimists, and we're still wary of buying stocks.