economic reports

A quiet week for earnings, along with new reports on consumer credit, consumer sentiment, economic optimism, wholesale trade, the U.S. trade balance and federal budget balance, should give the stock markets a chance to settle down after last week's volatility.

September 2010 was unexpectedly less robust for U.S. consumers, as personal incomes fell, surprising economists, $16.8 billion, or -0.1%. Disposable income decreased even more; $20.3 billion, or -0.2%. At the same time, and despite this fall in income, personal consumption expenditures (a.k.a....

Investing is a jungle, and most of the so-called experts who get quoted in the media are on the prowl with a simple purpose -- to give you a reason to trade. But they don't know much more than you do, and all their arguments ignore a basic reality: The market is now controlled by short-term traders.

The 1% increase eases worries that activity in the sector that's so far led the recovery is slowing. The July increase was led by strong performances in the manufacturing and mining segments, while utility output cooled off.

The nation's recovery may appear slow in coming, but consumers are more upbeat heading into 2010. The Conference Board's consumer confidence rose to 52.9 in December, up from a revised 50.6 last month. That's the second monthly rise in a row.

The Federal Reserve's latest snapshot of the U.S. economy showed that conditions continued to stabilize in July and August, giving further credence to economists' beliefs that the nation's deepest recession since the Great Depression may finally be easing. In issuing its latest "Beige Book"...