U.s. Economy, Quarterly Earnings | featured news

Retail sales contracted in March for the second time in three months, a sign the American economy may have stumbled at the end of the first quarter.

Consumer spending rose in February and sentiment among Americans perked up this month, further signs of an acceleration in economic activity in the first quarter after a near stall in late 2012.

The Commerce Department said that output expanded at an annual rate of just 0.1 percent, way below the country’s long-term average but above the original estimate of a contraction.

Target Corp posted lower quarterly profit on Wednesday, as sales of food and value-priced items only partially mitigated some weakness it saw when holiday shoppers held back from discretionary spending in an uncertain economy.

Harley-Davidson is more than just an iconic American brand. It is also a surprisingly good reflection of the forces shaping the U.S. economy as a whole. The motorcycle company reported its fourth quarter earnings Tuesday, and the details show a firm that is as typically American as the roaring sound of a hog on the highway.

Inventories at U.S. wholesalers rise at the fastest pace this year in September, adding to evidence that 3Q growth may have been stronger than initially thought.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in September as exports increased, suggesting the economy expanded more than previously believed in the third quarter.

U.S. economic growth picked up in the third quarter as a late burst in consumer spending and a surprise turnaround in government outlays offset the first cutback in business investment in more than a year.

Two of the nation's largest banks released third-quarter results that suggest the U.S. housing market, a key factor in the nation's economic performance, is bouncing back as mortgage rates hit record lows and home refinancings surge.

U.S. manufacturing closed out its weakest quarter in three years this month and the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits held near two-month highs last week, suggesting the economic recovery is failing to gain traction.