US Stocks Close Lower, Ending Dow’s 10-Day Rally
U.S. stocks fell Friday, ending the longest winning streak for the Dow Jones industrial average in nearly 17 years. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 25.03 points, or 0.2 percent, to 14,514.11. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 2.53, or 0.2 percent, to 1,560.70. The Nasdaq composite index dropped 9.86, or 0.3 percent, to 3,249.07. The S&P 500 closed just five points below its all-time closing high of 1,565, reached in October 2007. On Thursday, the Dow closed out a 10-day winning streak, its longest since November 1996. The string of wins pushed the Dow up 484.65 points, or 3.4 percent, to a Thursday close of 14,539.14. The index’s closing price on Feb. 28, just before the rally began, was 14,054.49. Trading Friday was tentative because investors fear that rising inflation will cause the Federal Reserve to retreat from policies aimed at boosting markets. The government said that consumer prices increased in February at the fastest pace in more than three years. The increase ...
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U.S. Jobless Rate Falls to 7.7%, a 4-Year Low
(WASHINGTON) — A burst of hiring in February added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7% from 7.9% in January. The strong job growth showed that employers are confident about the economy despite higher taxes and government spending cuts. The February jobs report issued Friday provided encouraging details: The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in four years. Job growth has averaged more than 200,000 a month since November. Wages rose. And the job gains were broad-based, led by the most construction hiring in six years. The unemployment rate had been stuck at 7.8% or above since September. About half the decline in February occurred because more of the unemployed found jobs. A decline in the number of people looking for work accounted for the other half: People who aren’t looking for jobs aren’t counted as unemployed. (MORE: Weekly U.S. Unemployment Claims Fall to 340,000) Employers did add slightly fewer jobs in January than the government had first estimated. ...
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Fed Survey: U.S. Economy Growing Throughout Country
(WASHINGTON) — Strong auto sales, hiring gains and a continued housing recovery helped the U.S. economy grow throughout the country in January and February, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve. The Fed says 10 of its 12 banking districts reported moderate or modest growth, while Boston and Chicago districts reported slow growth. Consumer spending increased in most regions, although growth slowed in many districts and much of the increases were driven by auto sales. Many districts said that consumers pulled back slightly on spending outside of autos after seeing taxes rise and gas prices increase. Some also expressed concerns about federal spending cuts that started on March 1. Housing markets showed more strength in nearly all parts of the country, while manufacturing showed modest improvements in most regions. And most districts reported some improvement in individual jobs markets. (MORE: Fed Survey: US Economy Picked Up at End of Year) The report, called the ...
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Economic Report: Government getting in economy’s way: Beige Book
Fiscal policy and President Obama’s health-care reform is retarding spending and hiring in the private sector, according to the Fed’s latest survey of economic conditions released Wednesday.
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Fed Likely to Stick to Low-Rate Message This Week
WASHINGTON — When the Federal Reserve meets this week, it’s likely to affirm a message it intends to help lift the economy: that consumers and businesses will be able to borrow cheaply well into the future — even after unemployment has dropped sharply. Last month, the Fed signaled for the first time that it will tie its policies to specific economic barometers. It said that as long as the inflation outlook is mild, it could keep short-term rates near zero until unemployment dips below 6.5 percent from the current 7.8 percent. That could take until the end of 2015, the Fed predicted last month. The Fed’s guidance was designed to give consumers, companies and investors a clearer sense of when super-low borrowing costs might start to rise. Though some key sectors of the economy are improving, analysts think the Fed still feels more time is needed for low rates to spur borrowing, spending and economic growth. One reason is that many Americans remain anxious about the budget impasse in ...
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