Retail sales up solidly in October as Americans showed continued willingness to spend

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy's steady growth. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, the Commerce Department said Friday, a solid increase though...

U.S. protectionism could undermine modest growth forecast for eurozone, says EU Commission

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe's economy has left stagnation behind but is headed for only modest growth in coming months as consumers regain some of the purchasing power they lost to inflation, the European Union's executive commission said Friday. The bloc's economy remains at...

Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday that the Federal Reserve will likely cut its key interest rate slowly and deliberately in the coming months, in part because inflation has shown signs of persistence and the Fed's officials want to see where it heads next. ...

Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US slips to 6.78%

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged lower this week, ending a six-week climb. The rate slipped to 6.78% from 6.79% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.4%. Borrowing...

The number of Americans filing for jobless claims falls to lowest level in 6 months

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in six months last week as layoffs remain at relatively healthy levels. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications fell by 4,000 to 217,000 for the week of Nov. 9. That’s...

Food prices worried most voters, but Trump's plans likely won't lower their grocery bills

Americans are fed up with the price of food, and many are looking to President-elect Donald Trump to lower their grocery bills. Trump often railed on the campaign trail against hefty price increases for bacon, cereal, crackers and other items. “We’ll get them...

US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States rose last month, remaining low but suggesting that the American economy has yet to completely vanquish inflationary pressure. Thursday's report from the Labor Department showed that its producer price index — which tracks...

US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated

Top Federal Reserve official defends central bank's independence in wake of Trump win

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Federal Reserve official gave a lengthy defense of the central bank's political independence Thursday, just days after former President Donald Trump, an outspoken Fed critic, won re-election. “It has been widely recognized — and is a finding of economic...