US economy – News Stories About US economy - Page 33

Jun 14, 2007 3:16 PM CDT

Home Foreclosures Hit Record

A dreary real estate market is fueling an all-time high rate of foreclosures

(Newser) - Home foreclosures hit a record high in first-quarter 2007 as more subprime borrowers failed to make their mortgage payments. The number of mortgages entering foreclosure spiked four basis points to 0.58% and over 2.4% of subprime mortgage holders defaulted, up from 2% last quarter, according to a report...

Mortgage Trouble Rattles Wall Street

Jun 14, 2007 10:54 AM CDT

Mortgage Trouble Rattles Wall Street

Bear Stearns, Goldman earnings reflect subprime bloodbath

(Newser) - Bear Stearns posted a 10% drop in quarterly earnings today, the latest victim of the subprime collapse. The country's second-largest mortgage-bond underwriter posted profits well below expectations, down nearly 33% from last year to $362 million. Goldman Sachs escaped bruised but more-or-less unscathed, with profits up 1% on the strength...

Collapse Looms in Zimbabwe

Jun 14, 2007 9:56 AM CDT

Collapse Looms in Zimbabwe

Economy may dissolve within six months as inflation spirals

(Newser) - Zimbabwe could suffer a full structural collapse in the next few months, the BBC reports. According to a memo distributed to aid workers, shops may resort to barter and utilities may shut down entirely in the country, on account of unbridled inflation that's already the world's highest at 3,714%.

Dow Falls as Bond Yields Soar

Jun 13, 2007 7:13 AM CDT

Dow Falls as Bond Yields Soar

Record high yields threaten higher mortgage rates

(Newser) - US bond yields have hit a five year high—bringing the threat of higher interest rates, costlier home mortgages and a slowing economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 5.25 per cent yesterday. Rising bond yields echo throughout the economy, making stocks less...

Hot LBO Market
Takes Hit

Jun 8, 2007 9:40 AM CDT

Hot LBO Market Takes Hit

As big-time deals struggle to manage debt, beware the Trojan piggy bank

(Newser) - The red-hot market for LBOs may be hitting a long-awaited rough patch. Several big deals—including Apollo's $1.3 billion Linens 'n Things buy and the multigroup $17.6 billion acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor Holdings—have turned sour, with the companies struggling to generate enough cash to pay down debt...

Inflation-Free Growth Is Too Good to Last

Jun 6, 2007 2:54 PM CDT

Inflation-Free Growth Is Too Good to Last

Inflation and higher interest rates could cool world markets

(Newser) - Globalization and access to low-cost labor has allowed the world economy to grow without high inflation, but this economist's dream may soon end, the Wall Street Journal predicts in a cautionary report. Demand for everything from workers to lumber is increasing, raising prices—and the prospect of higher inflation.

Dow Closes Down 80.86 on Inflation Scare

Jun 5, 2007 2:55 PM CDT

Dow Closes Down 80.86 on Inflation Scare

Bernanke comment, retail profit warnings contribute to slump

(Newser) - The Dow fell 80.86 points today, closing at 13,595.46 after companies in the retail sector issued warnings of reduced profits and Fed chairman Ben Bernanke commented that inflation risks are still high. "There are a lot of little things out there that are scaring the market,...

A Steak-House View of the Economy

May 30, 2007 4:01 PM CDT

A Steak-House View of the Economy

Ribeyes are grreat predictors of business performance, says Daniel Gross

(Newser) - High-end steak houses like Ruth's Chris and Peter Luger are a great place to study trends affecting the US economy, argues Slate's Daniel Gross. The price of sirloin, for instance, reflects the recent spike in energy prices, as demand for ethanol has raised the price of corn, which is what...

Interest Rate Cut Triggers Panic in Iran

May 25, 2007 2:05 PM CDT

Interest Rate Cut Triggers Panic in Iran

President goes over finance minister's head, ignites sell-off

(Newser) - Iran's erratic president has set off a stock market scare by ordering banks to slash interest rates, despite high inflation and lots of expert advice to the contrary. The move sparked panicked selling and fears of a full-blown financial crisis, the Guardian reports. The new decreed rate is 12%, down...

Top Executive Salaries Soar

May 25, 2007 8:00 AM CDT

Top Executive Salaries Soar

Gap between the CEO and the cubicle is wider than ever

(Newser) - The top bananas of the corporate world are taking in more income in relation to their immediate subordinates than ever before, the Times reports. Wealth is concentrating among the business elite but staying somewhat stagnant among more middling execs—the average gap between #1 and #3 has more than tripled...

Monthly Housing Sales Jump

May 24, 2007 2:15 PM CDT

Monthly Housing Sales Jump

But prices are way, way down

(Newser) - The real estate market had a volatile April, with home sales rising at their fastest rate in 14 years. But the 16% spike in sales over the previous month hid a more complicated reality: New home prices dropped by a record 11%, according to Commerce Department figures released today, and...

China Deals
on Finance,
Skips Currency

May 23, 2007 4:59 PM CDT

China Deals on Finance, Skips Currency

US-China talks bring good news for securities firms, but no yuan reform

(Newser) - Talks between American and Chinese economic officials thudded to a close today, offering mild changes to the financial sector in lieu of major currency reform. The deal hammered out by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and China's vice-premier Wu Yi promise foreign financial companies more access to Chinese markets and allows...

Booming India Is
Starved for Power

May 21, 2007 8:35 AM CDT

Booming India Is Starved for Power

Chronic electricity shortages belie booming economy

(Newser) - India's economy is growing so fast it has outstripped its electrical capacity, leaving burgeoning businesses, industries and homes to generate their own power with soot-belching diesel-powered generators for hours every day. Half of India's populace has no connection to the grid at all, and new construction often goes up without...

China Loosens Up on Yuan

May 18, 2007 10:40 AM CDT

China Loosens Up on Yuan

Currency move may be concession to US—or attempt to pop a stock market bubble

(Newser) - Just days before a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, China is taking baby steps toward letting its currency trade more freely. The government also raised interest rates and the reserve on bank loans today, signaling concern over the country's red-hot economy. China's trade surplus—which some American politicos...

Wal-Mart Posts Record Sales Decline

May 10, 2007 9:10 PM CDT

Wal-Mart Posts Record Sales Decline

Drop in business at megachain worst in 28 years

(Newser) - Wal-Mart reported a 3.5% decline in sales this April, the wost monthly result the retailer has announced in nearly three decades of announcing. The figures, for stores open at least a year, reflect an early Easter, bad weather, and a rejiggered sales calendar that gave Wal-Mart positive numbers in...

Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady

May 9, 2007 2:26 PM CDT

Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady

Unanimous vote seeks to stave off inflation

(Newser) - The Fed held the benchmark interest rate steady at 5.25% today in an unsurprising statement that prompted little reaction from the market. The unanimous vote reflects concerns about a faltering housing market, slowed growth, and persistent fears about core inflation, which the Fed continues to consider "somewhat elevated....

Home Prices Boom, In
Select Cities

May 9, 2007 10:28 AM CDT

Home Prices Boom, In Select Cities

Cities that sat out the bubble are showing gains despite overall slump

(Newser) - Despite the real estate slump, several cities are seeing double-digit gains in housing prices: Portland, Boise, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Houston, Austin, Charlotte and Raleigh aren't feeling the bubble blues—in part because they missed out on the bubble.

Layoffs Sink Stock Prices, Says Study

Apr 29, 2007 8:00 AM CDT

Layoffs Sink Stock Prices, Says Study

Forget the Seven Percent Rule; workforce morale critical to value

(Newser) - Economists have long doubted the precept that cutting a company's payroll will lead to a spike in its stock price. But try telling that to CEOs, who are still trying to emulate the turnarounds achieved by G.E. and Proctor & Gamble. Now, a study reveals that markets actually have...

Economy Slumps to 4-Year Low

Apr 27, 2007 11:11 AM CDT

Economy Slumps to 4-Year Low

Weak home sales, high oil prices drive slowdown

(Newser) - The country's economic growth has dwindled to its lowest rate in four years, with the housing slowdown, high energy prices, and a looming trade deficit driving lower-than-expected numbers released today. The economy grew 1.3% in the first quarter of 2007, down from 2.5% in the last three months...

Dow Breaks 13,000
In Record Close

Apr 25, 2007 3:50 PM CDT

Dow Breaks 13,000 In Record Close

(Newser) - The Dow Jones surged to a record close this afternoon, riding better-than-expected durable good orders in March and soaring profits from online bellweather Amazon to close just past 13,000. News that Alcoa was exploring plans to sell its packaging and consumer business also buoyed shareholders.