Stock market today: Wall Street drifts lower ahead of Election Day, while oil rises and yields sink

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting lower Monday ahead of a momentous week full of potential flashpoints, but other markets are already moving more sharply, including a rise for oil prices and drops for Treasury yields. The S&P 500 was slipping 0.2% in afternoon trading,...

Federal Reserve is set to cut rates again while facing a hazy post-election outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) — No one knows how Tuesday's presidential election will turn out, but the Federal Reserve's move two days later is much easier to predict: With inflation continuing to cool, the Fed is set to cut interest rates for a second time this year. The presidential contest...

Stock market today: Amazon leads Wall Street higher

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon led U.S. stock indexes higher on Friday, while a surprisingly weak jobs report marred by some unusual occurrences cemented bets on Wall Street for another cut to interest rates next week. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to recover some of its loss from the day...

US employers added just 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes and strikes sharply reduce payrolls

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added just 12,000 jobs in October, a total that economists say was held down by the effects of strikes and hurricanes that left many workers temporarily off payrolls. The report provided a somewhat blurry view of the job market at the end of a presidential...

Next Week: Trade balance, Fed policy meeting, consumer credit

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming Next week. OUT OF BALANCE The Commerce Department releases its latest monthly tally of the nation’s trade gap Tuesday. The gap between the value of goods and services the U.S....

Stock market today: Microsoft, Meta and the burden of expectations knock Wall Street sharply lower

NEW YORK (AP) — The downside of high expectations thumped Wall Street on Thursday, and Microsoft and Meta Platforms dragged U.S. stock indexes lower despite delivering strong profits for the summer. The S&P 500 sank 1.9% for its worst day in eight weeks and fell further from...

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the US rises for fifth straight week

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose for the fifth straight week, returning to its highest level since early August. The rate rose to 6.72% from 6.54% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. That's still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged...

Inflation gauge closely watched by the Fed falls to lowest level since early 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a presidential race profoundly shaped by Americans' frustration with high prices nears its end, the government said Thursday that an inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve has dropped to near pre-pandemic levels. The Commerce Department reported...

US applications for jobless benefits fall as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels

Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remained at historically healthy levels despite elevated interest rates. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications fell by 12,000 to 216,000 for the week of Oct. 26. That's fewer than...

Inflation gauge closely watched by the Fed falls to lowest level in 3 1/2 years