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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Spain dithers: Stocks fall, borrowing costs rise
Stock markets fall as investors grow nervous about Spain's delay in asking for a bailout. Spain's bond yields rise, but bond auctions generate strong response.
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Oil prices plunge after last week's bump
Oil prices bobbed above $97 per barrel and then retreated on Tuesday, a day after prices unexpectedly took a plunge. The drop in oil prices erased the gains made last week when the Federal Reserve unveiled new steps to boost the US economy.
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Fed easing: How many homeowners will it really help?
Federal Reserve's new push to ease mortgage rates won't help underwater homeowners and those with bad credit. Despite current low rates, two-thirds of homeowners have interest rates above 5 percent.
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Apple hits new high as stocks slip slightly
Weak economic news sent stocks sliding after a four-day surge in stock prices. Apple bucked the slight downward trend, rising $8.50 to $699.78, a new high for the stock market's most valuable company.
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Robert Reich The Fed can't create jobs all by itself
Low interest rates won’t boost the economy without an expansive fiscal policy that makes up for the timid spending of consumers and businesses, Reich writes.
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Bernanke's bold move: good policy – or politics? (+video)
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's says economics dictated the central bank's bold actions. But by acting so close to the election, he risks accusations that he's playing politics.
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Coming week could be a sober one for the market
The stock market made strong gains last week after the announcement of the Fed's latest bailout program, which will pump $40 billion into the US economy each month. But Wall Street's sentiment may shift next week, as investors begin to think more long-term.
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Obama's record on job creation: How good or bad?
The question of jobs is central to Election 2012. Mitt Romney claims President Obama has been a failure, while Obama says he's presided over steady growth. Decoder sweeps aside the spin.
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Stocks continue surge after Fed bailout
The Federal Reserve's announcement of more help for the U.S. economy propelled stocks higher for a second day Friday. Apple led the rise in stock prices, blowing through its own all-time high as it started taking orders for the iPhone 5.
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The Monitor's View Bernanke and Fed can't be sole bearers of economic certainty
In bold moves, central banks in the US and Europe promise indefinite spending to boost markets. The Federal Reserve and European Central Bank may be financial backstops but they can't pitch certainty into an economy.
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Paper Economy Industrial production falls in August
Industrial production declined 1.16 percent since July but rose 2.8 percent above the level of industrial production seen in August 2011.
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Bernanke bump: Stocks rise early on Fed action
Bernanke's announcement that the Federal Reserve would once again step in to help the lagging economic recovery is sending stocks to one of their best weeks since June. Bernanke and the Fed pledged to spend $40 billion on mortgage bonds to drive down long-term interest rates and push investors into stocks.
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Retail sales get a boost from autos, gas prices
Retail sales rose in August because consumers paid higher gas prices and bought more cars and trucks. Retail sales at general merchandise, clothing and electronic stores fell, suggesting that consumers are becoming more selective about spending.
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Rising gas prices, car sales boost retail sales
US retail sales rise as gas prices go up and consumers buy more cars. But consumers wary about other purchases.
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Mitt Romney shifts campaign focus back to the economy
Mitt Romney is trying to shift the focus of the presidential campaign away from anti-American violence overseas and back to the economy, criticizing actions by the Federal Reserve and President Obama's record with China. Mitt Romney has been sharply criticized in recent days for his comments in the wake of attacks on American officials in Libya.
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Conflict in the Middle East: Benefit or detriment for Obama? (+video)
The latest surveys of likely voters show President Barack Obama pulling ahead. But Republicans and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney may have an opportunity to cast doubt on Obama's foreign policy as unrest rises in the Middle East.
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The Fed's new plan: Will buying mortgage bonds create jobs?
Fed chairman Ben Bernanke announced a new bid to 'quicken the recovery.' The move, in the runup to an election expected to turn on jobs, isn't political, he said, but 'based entirely on the state of the economy.'
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Fed stimulus sends stocks soaring to 4-year high (+video)
US stocks rallied after news that the Federal Reserve will spend $40 billion a month to buy mortgage securities. Nearly four stocks rose for every one falling, and the Dow closed at its highest level since December 2007.
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Stocks up after European rescue fund ruling
Stocks rose Wednesday after a German court cleared the way for that country to participate in a European rescue fund. The ruling helped push Germany's main stock index, the DAX, to its highest level since July of last year.
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German backing of ESM bailout fund lifts oil futures
Oil futures rose nearer to $98 a barrel Wednesday after a German court ruling favored an ESM (European Stability Mechanism) bailout fund for deeply indebted eurozone countries. The ruling means that the ESM can come into force by the end of this year.
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Stocks rise in anticipation of Fed meeting
Investors hope an upcoming Federal Reserve meeting will lead to a jump in stock prices. The average of 30 large company stocks has already gained 1.8 percent to start September, a month which is usually dismal for stocks.
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Monitor Breakfast Nancy Pelosi: We're not ceding one grain of sand to Republicans
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says her party can gain the 25 seats it needs to retake the House in November, but that it will be an intense, grass-roots fight.
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Bad news from China sends stocks sliding
After last week's stock market rally, the Dow fell 52 points to close at 13,254 on Monday. Investors hope potential new stimulus funding will send stock prices bouncing back.
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Why have millions of Americans given up looking for work?
The August jobs report sent chills through Wall Street and Washington because of one eye-popping number: 368,000 Americans gave up looking for work. That makes 7 million people not counted as part of the labor force who want a job.
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Energy Voices The real reason behind oil price rises
In an interview, energy economist James Hamilton reveals how demand for oil keeps outstripping production, even with new shale oil supply coming from the United States.
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