February | featured news

The government posted a record monthly budget deficit of $222.5 billion in February as spending growth outstripped revenue gains that were crimped by tax cuts enacted late last year, the Treasury Department reported on Thursday.

Manufacturers likely increased production at a slightly faster pace in February than in January, when output rose at the quickest pace since May 2004.

Consumer confidence rose in February to its highest point in three years as Americans feel more optimistic about their income prospects and the direction the economy is headed.

The wait is over, and the news is finally official: the project is greenlit, and Peter Jackson will direct two "Hobbit" films, with production set to start in February 2011.

Nintendo said it will launch its 3-D hand-held videogame system in February, damping speculation that it would launch the product in time for the year-end holiday shopping season.

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in February as a small gain in exports to the highest level in 16 months was offset by a bigger jump in imports, reflecting increased demand for consumer goods from televisions to clothing.

The wobbly housing market is showing a rare sign of strength: pending home sales were up significantly in February, a report released Monday said, suggesting that Americans took advantage of a tax credit for home buyers.

The 0.3 percent rise in consumer spending in February was considered a respectable showing, given the winter weather.

Sales of new homes in the US fell to their lowest level on record in February, figures show.

Housing construction fell in February as winter blizzards held down activity in the Northeast and Midwest. The decline highlighted the challenges facing builders as they struggle to emerge from the worst housing slump in decades.