2009 | featured news

US consumer confidence fell sharply in October as fears about job prospects prayed upon Americans, figures show.

The August data from a home price index suggested that a housing recovery is taking hold.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes surged to their highest level in more than two years in September, a survey showed on Friday, providing further evidence the housing market and economy were on the mend.

Afghanistan will hardly have enough time to provide full security during a presidential election run-off in November, a senior official said on Thursday as preparations for the second round entered full swing.

The latest e-book from Stephen King is no bargain. Scribner announced Wednesday that the digital edition of King's "Under the Dome," a 1,000-plus page novel, would not be released until Dec. 24, virtually the end of the holiday season and a month after the hardcover.

Construction of new homes edged up slightly in September, helped by a rebound in single-family construction. But applications for building permits fell by the largest amount in five months.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that he accepted a finding of widespread fraud in the August presidential elections and endorsed a runoff vote scheduled for Nov. 7.

Bowing to increasing scrutiny of his compensation, Bank of America’s embattled chief executive, Kenneth D. Lewis, agreed not to take a salary or bonus for 2009.

Foreign direct investment into China rose 19% in September, suggesting appetite from abroad for investing in China is picking up as the economy recovers.

Meet the top-performing, publicly held up-and-comers. Small fry got smacked hard in year two of the Great Recession: 42% of the companies in the Russell 2000 small-company index lost money in the last 12 months, versus 22% for those in the S&P 500. Still, enough winners emerged to ease the sector's overall pain. The Russell was up 8%, the S&P 6%.