News

New data throw some cold water on the notion that the US economy began the year strongly, with consumer spending figures revised downward for January, followed by scant improvement in February.

The Internal Revenue Service answered 73% of calls to its toll-free telephone lines in the first week of this month, up sharply from the same period last year, according to agency records. A cash infusion from Congress helped the IRS […]

Orders received by US manufacturers for durable goods fell 2.8% in February, the Commerce Department said. It was the third time in four months that the data have pointed to a slowdown in the economy.

Twenty-eight of 63 major stock indices globally are registering bull markets, and 10 more may do so soon. However, challenges remain, including lower expectations for corporate earnings, some observers warn.

All of Puerto Rico’s debt, including general obligation bonds, needs restructuring to address the island’s financial crisis, which could be detrimental to the municipal bond market if handled incorrectly, US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told the House Financial Services Committee. […]

The US economy could allow for the next interest-rate increase to occur as soon as next month, said Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The economy is strong enough to “justify a further step at one […]

The 31-day delinquency rate for student loan payments to the government was 19.7% as of Dec. 31, down from the previous year’s 22.2%, the Education Department says. The decline is attributed to more graduates finding jobs and more former students […]

Employment rates in the parts of the US that were hit hardest by the recession may not reach normal levels until the 2020s, as underlying damage to these areas’ economies still exists, according to a working paper by Danny Yagan, […]

US retail sales figures for January were revised sharply downward for a 0.4% decline, and February’s sales were also down 0.1%, suggesting a weak spot in the economy. Analysts say Q1 growth may not be as robust as previously expected, […]