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U.S. stock futures are pointing to a lower opening ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.
Economists expect the central bank to keep rates at their record low and are waiting to hear Chairman Ben Bernanke’s view on the economy Wednesday afternoon. Reports since the spring have shown the economy is weakening.
In Greece, the […]

For the first time this year, the economy slowed in several U.S. regions this spring. High gas prices weakened consumer spending, and the Japan crises reduced manufacturing output.
Four of the Federal Reserve’s 12 bank regions suffered slower growth in April and May compared with earlier this year, a Fed survey reported Wednesday. The report confirmed […]

The Canadian economy disappointed on the jobs front in February, creating a smaller than expected 15,100 new jobs that included an outright decline in the important full-time work category.
The tiny pick-up in jobs overall, all part time, was below the consensus expectations of as many as 25,000 new jobs, but large enough to keep the […]

Kellwood hasn’t been the sort of company you would expect to make a splash on the runways at New York Fashion Week.
After all, for most of its history, the Town and Country-based apparel company has been more accustomed to making private-label clothes for Walmart and moderate-priced brands such as Sag Harbor and Koret.
And yet, last […]

If Albert Pujols gets what he reportedly wants in a new contract, he will earn a notable distinction.
At $27 million to $30 million a year, the 31-year-old first baseman would not only make more money than any other Cardinal and any other Major League ballplayer. He would likely earn more than any of the 1.3 […]

Tokyo shares rallied Friday as investors cheered robust earnings and a major takeover in the steel sector.
The Nikkei 225 stock average rose 1.1 percent to 10,550.02, as much of the region took a break for the Lunar New Year holidays. Markets in Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan were closed.
Nippon Steel […]

A government panel’s failure to reach a firm conclusion about what caused the financial crisis shows how complex Wall Street has become and how partisan Washington has grown.
The blurriness of its report comes months after a new law already has begun tightening financial rules to prevent another crisis.
All of which raises a question: Do the […]

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser said that while unemployment will probably stay too high for the foreseeable future, he hasn’t ruled out favoring a rate increase this year should economic growth warrant such a move.
“If economic growth in the United States continues to gain traction and the prospects begin to look […]

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told software developers on Thursday that his company will prove doubters wrong and succeed in the mobile field, because the smartphone market is still in its infancy.
"We’re early; there’s no question we’re early," Ballmer said at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference. "I think we kind of nailed it. When you see […]

Emily may not be the prettiest thing with plastic parts on bikini-riddled Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif., but ’she’ still turns heads.
That’s because Emily — whose name is an acronym for Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard — is a four-foot-long robotic buoy capable of racing through rough surf at 24 miles per hour. Emily’s creators […]