Economic Recovery, Good News | featured news

The euro region finally sees some modest growth, as Spain and Ireland straggle behind.

Signs that manufacturing in the United States was on a path to recovery sent stocks upward on the first trading day after one of the steepest plunges in months.

The government reported that output of goods and services grew at a 3.5 percent annual rate, which was faster than expected. But it will be months before job-seekers feel the benefits.

The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless insurance hit a nine-month low last week and retailers reported their first monthly sales gain in over a year on Thursday, easing fears that recovery from recession would be unsustainable.

The U.S. service sector grew in September for the first time in 13 months, an encouraging sign for the fledgling economic recovery although jobs remain scarce.

The economy sank at a pace of 0.7 percent in the spring, a better-than-expected performance that provided more evidence that the recession was ending.

U.S. consumer sentiment rose in late September to the highest since January 2008 as expectations of an economic rebound gathered momentum, a survey showed on Friday.

Report is better than analysts expected; new jobless claims, total benefit rolls also drop.

Consumer sentiment rose more than expected in August, an indication that Americans' pessimism about the economy may be lifting.

Investors are holding on to their optimism about the economy, sending stocks to fresh 2009 highs. Market indicators rose about 0.5 percent in midday trading Monday, following a surge in overseas markets and extending a big advance from last week.