What changes should small businesses be aware of for 2025?

For small businesses, the biggest change in the new year will be the arrival of a presumably more business-friendly administration in Washington. But there are other shifts owners should keep on their radar. Among them: changes to state-level overtime and minimum wage rules, the...

Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Friday to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% for its best day in six weeks and shaved its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average...

How major US stock indexes fared Friday, 12/20/2024

U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite...

Russia's central bank holds off on interest rate hike amid friction between inflation, war spending

Russia's central bank has left its benchmark interest rate at a record 21%, holding off on further increases despite high consumer inflation fueled by the Kremlin's war against Ukraine. The decision Friday comes amid criticism from influential business figures, including tycoons...

Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Friday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that prices rose just 0.1% from October to...

Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month

Rising butter prices give European consumers and bakers a bad taste

PARIS (AP) — Pastry chef Arnaud Delmontel rolls out dough for croissants and pain au chocolat that later emerge golden and fragrant from the oven in his Paris patisserie. The price for the butter so essential to the pastries has shot up in recent months, by 25% since September...

Trump was poised to inherit a strong economy. Then things got rocky and he added to the uncertainty

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The smooth economy that Donald Trump was poised to inherit suddenly looks a bit rockier — with critics saying the president-elect is contributing to the uncertainty. The Dow Jones stock index essentially ended Thursday flat after having posted 10 days...

Canada's Trudeau to shuffle his Cabinet Friday amid resignation calls and rising discontent

TORONTO (AP) — Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his Cabinet Friday. The prime minister's office confirmed late Thursday that Trudeau will participate in the swearing-in ceremony and chair a meeting with his new Cabinet later Friday. ...

Average rate on 30-year mortgage snaps 3-week slide and rises to highest level since late November

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose this week to its highest level since late November, reflecting a recent uptick in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price home loans. The rate rose to 6.72% from 6.6% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said...