Topic: U.S. Federal Reserve
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Top 5 bull markets since 1929
The bull market that started in 2009 is currently the fifth most spectacular rise in stock prices since at least 1929. Can you guess which bull markets have been even more impressive?
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Five signs Americans are forgetting recession's lessons
Declining savings is one of five signs that American households are forgetting the lessons of the Great Recession:
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Debt-ceiling showdown: 4 reasons it's not a replay of 2011
In 2011, Congress and President Obama went to the brink of government default when congressional Republicans balked at raising the nation's debt ceiling. The spring of 2013 appears to have another debt ceiling fight in store. Here are the top four things that have changed.
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Opinion Six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong
Mitt Romney’s economic plan is largely based on a whitepaper written by several “heavyweight” economists. The problem is, it's riddled with fundamental flaws. Here are six points where Mitt Romney and his economic advisers are mostly wrong about what ails the American economy and how to fix it.
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Briefing Obama vs. Romney 101: 3 ways they differ on regulation
Wall Street is a big target – blamed for the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession. Mitt Romney says efforts to rein in financiers via more regulation are an attack on “economic freedom.” President Obama says new regulations would make it “more profitable to play by the rules than to game the system.” Here are three specifics on which the two differ.
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Stocks move higher as Federal Reserve looms large
Stocks closed higher Tuesday as investors waited on word from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The central bank will discuss the fate of its economic stimulus program on Wednesday. Many say stocks are in a holding pattern until then.
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Tax VOX Uncle Sam's growing investment portfolio
The federal government has been borrowing rapidly to not only finance recent budget deficits but also make financial investments. These investments now total about $1.1 trillion, and the debt supporting Uncle Sam’s investment portfolio accounts for almost 10 percent of the $11.9 trillion in public debt.
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Stocks up ahead of Federal Reserve meeting
Stocks closed higher Monday as traders hoped the Federal Reserve will decide to continue its economic stimulus program when it meets this week. The guess that the Federal Reserve will continue to prop up the economy sent stocks up.
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Will Ben Bernanke let interest rates rise? World markets wait.
Financial markets have been gyrating in the weeks since Ben Bernanke told Congress the Fed might scale back its effort to keep long-term rates at record lows. But Bernanke has cautioned that the Fed would slow its support only if it felt confident the job market would show sustained improvement.
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The New Economy Consumers riding high as retail sales surprise: this week in the economy
Retail sales surged 0.6 percent last month, on the strength of auto sales and building materials. Also this week, stock prices swing wildly as core wholesale prices suggest tame inflation and manufacturing slows.
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IMF to US: Economy sounder, but ditch the sequester
IMF says spending cuts 'ill-designed.' IMF urges Congress to cancel the $85 million sequester cuts and reform Social Security instead.
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Stocks fall on disappointing economic reports
Stocks fell Friday after disappointing reports about the US economy. Concerns that the Federal Reserve could announce plans to cut back its stimulus program next week also weighed on stocks.
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Dow up, Nikkei down: Days of market volatility put focus on central banks
Recent market volatility is a sign of investor unease more than of panic. Investors see a global economy struggling to develop self-sustaining momentum, five years after a financial crisis, and are uncertain what central banks plan to do next about it.
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Japanese stocks plunge, rattling world markets
Japan's Nikkei falls 6.4 percent Thursday in the wake of the Bank of Japan's decision to stand pat on monetary easing. Concerns also mount about Fed's commitment to easing in the US.
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World Bank: Monetary tightening could crimp growth
When the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks tighten monetary policies, World Bank economists worry long-term interest rates will rise, increasing the cost of capital in emerging markets. This could be particularly challenging for developing countries with high debts.
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Stocks fall as Dow drops below 15,000
Stocks closed lower Wednesday and the Dow Jones industrial average fell 126.79 points to close at 14,995.23. Video-game shops, restaurants, and retailers led stocks downward push.
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Stocks drop on choppy day for Wall Street
Stocks fell Tuesday on concerns that central banks will pull back from support for the global economy. Stocks began sliding from the opening bell, trailing markets in Asia and Europe.
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Gold nears three-week low on stimulus tapering
Gold fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday to a near three-week low after the Bank of Japan opted not to extend its stimulus program, stoking speculation that the era of ultra-loose global monetary policy is coming to an end.
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Stocks mixed despite S&P debt upgrade
Stocks budged higher when trading opened on Wall Street Monday, shortly after the S&P agency raised its outlook for the US government's debt rating and credited 'the strengths of the economy.' But the gains proved both modest and fickle, and stocks spent most of the day flitting between small gains and losses.
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The New Economy Jobs report? Tepid, like everything else in the economy.
US adds 175,000 jobs in May, in line with expectations but not enough to reduce the unemployment rate. Elsewhere in the economy, manufacturing and construction disappoint, but jobless claims fall.
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Stocks rise on hiring jump
Stocks jumped Friday on news of steady growth in hiring last month. Expectation of continued economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve also pushed stocks upward.
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US economy creates 175,000 jobs in May – too few to lower unemployment rate (+video)
The unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in May, up from 7.5 percent. As a result, it's unlikely that the Federal Reserve will taper off its monthly buying of securities, which has helped to buoy the housing market.
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Stocks slip as Federal Reserve keeps Wall Street guessing
Stocks fell Tuesday as comments from a Federal Reserve official implied the Fed could start easing off its support for the economy soon. It was the latest volatile turn in stocks as investors try to figure out when the Fed will make a move.
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Stocks respond well to bad economic news
Stocks rose Monday on hopes that the Federal Reserve will continue to stimulate the economy and support a rally in stocks. Weak economic reports helped convince investors that the Fed will hold off from slowing down its $85 billion bond-buying program.
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Stocks mixed in slow start to week
Stocks fluctuated between small gains and losses on Wall Street for most of Monday. Small-company stocks are doing well because they are less exposed to recession-plagued Europe than the large international stocks that make up the Dow and the S&P 500 index.
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Stocks gain on good economic news
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street for a fourth straight week Friday. Consumer confidence and other economic indicators rose, giving stocks a boost.
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Stocks fade in late trading
Stocks fell on Wall Street Thursday on signs of a slowing economy mixed with indications the Federal Reserve would end its bond-buying program this year. Wal-Mart stocks sank after warning of weaker earnings ahead.
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Stocks rise despite manufacturing slowdown
Stocks nudged to all-time highs on Wall Street Wednesday despite disappointing economic reports. News of a manufacturing slowdown weighed on stocks early on, but the stock market recovered by midday.
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The New Economy Bloomberg snooping: Just looking at data can break the law
The Federal Reserve and the US Treasury are investigating whether Bloomberg reporters used the company's terminals to glean inappropriate information about officials' data use. Just viewing the information can be a felony, under federal law.
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Stocks pause rally on economic skepticism
Stocks paused on Wall Street Monday as investors assessed whether stock valuations were overstating the recent improvement in the economy. Stocks have surged this year, boosted by an improving economy, Federal Reserve stimulus and record corporate earnings.
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