Economic outlook news and stories by mail.com

Economic outlook

Investors look for answers on economy from Fed
Worry and speculation have consumed investors since Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to Congress last month about the Federal Reserve's drive to keep ...
World looks to Bernanke to clarify stimulus plans
Is the era of ultra-low interest rates nearing an end? When he takes questions this week after a Federal Reserve meeting, Chairman Ben Bernanke will ...
IMF: US economy improving but spending cuts a drag
The U.S. economy is on sounder footing than it was a year ago but is still being restrained by government spending cuts and tax increases, the ...
Oil prices fall closer to $95 as US supplies grow
The price of oil fell toward $95 a barrel Thursday, dragged down by evidence that U.S. crude supplies are rising while global economic growth is seen ...
AP Interview: Bleak outlook for West Bank economy
The Palestinians this week replaced one internationally respected, U.S.-trained economist with another in hopes of solving long-running problems in ...
S&P upgrades US outlook, but investors yawn
The Standard & Poor's ratings agency said Monday it's getting more optimistic about the U.S. economy. But investors just yawned. Stocks budged higher ...
German economy recovering after weak patch
Germany's central bank on Friday lowered its growth forecast for this year but said a recovery had already started, as evidenced by a rise in export ...
ECB cuts eurozone outlook as rate held at 0.5 pct
The European Central Bank has cut its growth forecast for the troubled euro area's economy, but said there were enough signs of improvement ahead that ...
Survey: US private employers add 135K jobs in May
A private survey shows U.S. businesses added just 135,000 jobs in May, the second straight month of weak gains. Payroll provider ADP said Wednesday ...
Eurozone recovery proves elusive
Several economic figures for the 17 EU countries that use the euro all showed the same thing Wednesday — there's no sign of a recovery from recession.
A respite for Medicare; Social Security no worse
Medicare's long-term health is starting to look a little better, the government said Friday, but both Social Security and Medicare are still wobbling ...
Pakistan may be next in line for an IMF bailout
With foreign reserves diminishing fast, Pakistan is on the brink of an economic crisis that may force its new government to ask for an unpopular ...
Stocks rise as lackluster reports ease Fed concern
The stock market rose Thursday after a pair of lackluster economic reports raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to boost the ...
Oil below $93 ahead of US crude inventory data
The price of oil fell below $93 a barrel Thursday amid concerns about global economic growth and as traders awaited the latest U.S. crude inventories ...
EU eases pace of austerity to help economy
The European Union softened its demands for austerity Wednesday when it gave France, Spain and four other member states more time to bring their ...
Greece receives gloomy forecasts
Greece's central bank warned Wednesday that unemployment and the recession are likely to be worse than expected this year, while a leading ...
German business confidence unexpectedly rebounds
German business confidence rebounded this month in an unexpectedly strong showing that sends a hopeful signal for more robust growth in Europe's ...
Economists predict increase in consumer spending
Consumer spending is likely to pick up this year, while government spending declines at a faster rate, according to a survey of business economists.
Stocks rise on hopeful signs for the US economy
Encouraging news about the U.S. economy extended the stock market's rally Friday. Small-company stocks rose the most, a sign that investors are taking ...
IMF says Cyprus at risk of even deeper recession
The International Monetary Fund said Friday that substantial risks still loom for the Cypriot economy even after a multi-billion dollar international ...
Bank of England sees 'modest, sustained' recovery
The Bank of England predicted a modest and sustained economic recovery for Britain on Wednesday, but tempered hope that the worst might be over with ...
Eurozone growth hopes emerge after industrial data
A larger-than-expected increase in industrial production across the 17 European Union countries that use the euro has raised hopes that the recession ...
US retail sales rise in April on cars, clothing
Lower-priced gas allowed Americans to step up their spending at retailers in April, from cars and clothes to electronics and appliances. The rebound ...
US wholesale stockpiles up 0.4 percent in March
Wholesale businesses stepped up their restocking of supplies in March, but their sales fell sharply. The Commerce Department said Thursday that ...
New stock market milestone: Dow 15,000
The Dow Jones industrial average punched through another milestone Tuesday, closing above 15,000 for the first time just two months after recovering ...