The Commerce Department released its latest figures for retail sale and restaurants, showing a rebound in September after a slow start to the year. The retail and restaurant sector posted a 0.2 percent monthly gain in August, and an annual increase to date of 2.2 percent. Analysts believe that retail sales improvement is all that… Continue Reading
The US job growth slowed in August, but the good news is that the unemployment rate dropped to an almost 7.5 year low and wages have accelerated. The Nonfarm payrolls increased 173,000 last month after a revised gain of 245,000 in July, according to the Labor Department. The payrolls data for June and July showed… Continue Reading
The Canadian dollar has not been this low, compared to the US dollar, since August 2004, falling to 75.27 US cents by the end of the trading day. The last day the loonie closed below 76 cents was just three weeks ago, on August 4, but today’s drop is lower still. According personal finance expert… Continue Reading
The National Federation of Small Businesses announced on Tuesday that its survey of 1,495 small businesses showed increased optimism during July. This measure represents an about face from its 15-month low reached in June. This data point joins other indicators, such as car sales, employment statistics and service provider information to show a slow but… Continue Reading
Data from a new survey points to a growing shortage of skilled labor in the United States, paving the way for a rise in wages in the coming months. According to the National Association for Business Economics survey 35 percent of the 112 economists asked said that their companies had experienced a shortage of skilled… Continue Reading
Taken as a single country, the US economy is still the world’s biggest, with China coming in a very close second. However, as a single entity, the countries comprising the European Union actually surpass the size of the US economy, making it a key player in the world’s marketplace. One economist, Joseph P. Quinlan, the… Continue Reading
According to the June 22 edition of Barron’s, a US financial magazine, the stocks of four of America’s leading airlines could rise anywhere from 15 to 50 percent. Driving the upswing are lowered fuel prices and shrinking competition. Barron’s looked at the 2015 forecast for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the four… Continue Reading
A worrisome percentage of renters are paying at least half of their income for housing and utilities, according to census data analyzed by Enterprise Community Partners. The non-profit company that helps finance affordable housing states that the number of such households has increased by 26 percent since 2007, rising to 11.25 million. This fact underscores… Continue Reading
Latin America is becoming an increasingly attractive economy for outside investors. This is positive news for companies such as Latam Securities that has been providing investment advisory services about investments in fixed-income securities in local and worldwide markets. Company Director Jorge Pepa and CEO Diego Marynberg have been working with these clients in an attempt… Continue Reading
Speaking before the House Committee on Financial Services last week, Janet Yellen, head of the Federal Reserve, testified that the US financial system is much safer today than it was in 2007 when the most recent economic decline commenced. “I believe the financial system is much safer. There is twice as much high-quality capital among… Continue Reading