Consumer spending

Business 12/14/19, 13:38

U.S. consumer enthusiasm about the economy under President Donald Trump continued improving at the end of this year, overwhelming former President Obama’s records. Rasmussen on Friday, Dec. 13, released its consumer spending data, indicating that Americans are feeling better than ever about the economy. The Rasmussen Reports Economic Index hit 144.3 in ...

Business 11/27/19, 08:08

A series of government reports Wednesday cast a picture of a steadily growing U.S. economy, fueled by solid consumer spending and defying threats — at least for now — from a U.S.-China trade war and a global slowdown. The Commerce Department estimated that the economy grew at a moderate 2.1% annual ...

Business 08/30/19, 12:31

The U.S. economic growth in the second quarter got big support from consumers who are showing their  willingness to spend, backed by the very low unemployment rate thanks to pro-jobs vision under the Trump administration. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) on Aug. 29 released data showing consumer spending, which ...

Business 06/27/19, 11:32

The U.S. economy grew at a healthy 3.1% rate in the first three months of this year, but signs are mounting that growth has slowed sharply in the current quarter amid slower global growth and a confidence-shaking trade battle between the United States and China. The gain in the gross domestic ...

Business 05/14/19, 23:30

China's factory output and consumer spending weakened in April as a tariff war with Washington intensified. Wednesday's data prompted suggestions Beijing will need to prop up economic growth with more government spending. Government data showed growth in factory output decelerated to 5.4 percent over a year earlier from March's 8.5 percent growth. Growth ...

Business 04/30/19, 10:50

American consumers are feeling more confident this month, though optimism hasn't fully recovered from a period of roiling markets and slowed hiring early this year. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 129.2 in April, from 124.2 in March. The index, covering the ...

Business 04/29/19, 08:15

U.S. consumer spending surged 0.9% in March, the biggest gain in nearly a decade, as inflation pressures remain non-existent.The March gain was the biggest monthly increase since August 2009, the Commerce Department reported Monday. That's a marked improvement after three months of lackluster readings in this key segment of the ...

Business 04/26/19, 15:13

The worries that hung ominously over the U.S. economy early this year appear to have lifted. And that sunnier picture has helped bolster confidence in the stock market — driving the benchmark S&P 500 index to another record high Friday. The latest dose of encouragement came in a report Friday that ...

Business 04/18/19, 00:38

Asian stocks fell Thursday after Wall Street declined despite encouraging Chinese economic data.Benchmarks in Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong all retreated. Sydney was little-changed.U.S. stocks fell despite data showing Chinese gross domestic product growth held steady in the latest quarter in the face of a tariff war with Washington ...

Business 04/01/19, 08:36

U.S. retail sales fell in February, as consumers pulled back their spending on building materials, groceries, furniture, electronics and clothing declined amid signs of a slowing economy. The Commerce Department said Monday that retail sales fell 0.2 percent in February, after posting an upwardly revised gain 0.7 percent in January. Over ...

Business 03/29/19, 08:55

U.S. consumer spending edged up a tiny 0.1 percent in January, while incomes advanced a modest 0.2 percent in February, further evidence that economic activity may have decelerated after strong growth for most of last year. The Commerce Department said Friday that the weak gain in consumer spending followed a 0.6 ...

Business 03/01/19, 08:55

U.S. consumer spending tumbled 0.5 percent in December, the biggest decline in nine years, as the holiday shopping season ended in disappointment. Meanwhile, incomes rose sharply in December but edged down in January.The fall in consumer spending followed sizable gains of 0.7 percent in October and 0.6 percent in November, ...

Business 01/19/19, 19:35

Yu Mingang had a good job helping Chinese manufacturers prepare to sell shares to the public until the cooling economy derailed those plans. As demand for auditing services sank, the 25-year-old accountant in the eastern city of Hangzhou was laid off in December. Yu tightened his belt: No more movies or ...

Business 01/17/19, 23:21

Yu Mingang had a good job helping Chinese manufacturers prepare to sell shares to the public until the cooling economy derailed those plans. As demand for auditing services sank, the 25-year-old accountant in the eastern city of Hangzhou was laid off in December. Yu tightened his belt: No more movies or ...

Business 01/08/19, 15:28

Americans slowed their pace of borrowing slightly in November, but it still grew by a robust $22.1 billion. Solid auto and student loans offset some of the decline in the category that covers credit cards.The Federal Reserve said Tuesday that November's figure follows a $25 billion gain in October, which ...

Business 12/26/18, 11:17

As the Dow Jones Industrial Average seesaws and mostly drops by hundreds of points a day, Kathy Barnes sees the impact of the volatility on homebuilders and general contractors in the St. Louis area. Barnes, who helps these small business owners manage their projects, says her clients are worried that the ...

Business 12/21/18, 12:59

Americans lifted their spending 0.4 percent in November from the previous month, a moderate gain that should sustain steady economic growth. Personal incomes rose 0.2 percent, down from 0.5 percent in the previous month, the Commerce Department said Friday. Consumer spending jumped by the most in 13 months in October, and November's ...

Business 11/29/18, 08:35

Consumers boosted their spending in September at the fastest pace in seven months, while their incomes rose by the largest amount in nine months. Both are good signs for future economic growth.FILE- In this Nov. 9, 2018, file photo shoppers make their way through the toy isles at a Walmart ...

Business 11/28/18, 08:33

The U.S. economy expanded at a solid 3.5 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter, led by lower but still strong consumer spending and more business investment than previously estimated.The Commerce Department's figure for gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's output of goods and services, was the ...

Business 11/13/18, 23:27

The Japanese economy shrank at an annualized rate of 1.2 percent in July-September, as consumer spending, investment and exports fell, according to government data released Wednesday.Cabinet Office preliminary data showed seasonally adjusted gross domestic product — the total value of a nation's goods and services — dipped 0.3 percent in ...