Week in Preview: Retail Sales, Consumer Credit, Earnings

Yes, the unemployment rate sank below 9% in February, but investors didn't seem to be impressed by that data. The Dow, Nasdaq and S&P 500 all fell on Friday -- over concerns about how the ongoing...

N.Y. Gift Fair Puts Rising Consumer Confidence on Display

Gift-buying trends revealed at last month's New York International Gift Fair underscore consumers' ongoing focus on value, but also a possible upswing in their confidence. Dorothy Belshaw, senior vice...

Paging Book Lovers: Dedicated Authors Keep Libraries Afloat

For public libraries, it could be the best of times, but it's increasingly looking like the worst of times. The good news is that they seem to be staging a major comeback, with usage numbers sharply rising...

U.S. Manufacturing Is Building Hopes for Earnings -- and Jobs

With growing instability in the Middle East and divisive union conflicts taking shape in America's state capitals, investors are desperate for some good news. That's why the U.S. manufacturing sector is a...

Credit CARD Act: One Year Later, How's It Going?

During the battle over Credit CARD Act, much talk focused on what the legislation would -- and wouldn't -- do. A year after the two-phase law was rolled out, what's the word now? Mostly, it's been a...

Sam's Club Should Be More Like Costco

Cuba's Deepwater Oil Exploration Could Be a Game Changer

People who follow the oil industry are closing watching a pair of news items, both involving drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier this week, the Obama administration said Noble Energy (NBL)...

It May Be Time to Get Used to Costly Gas Prices

For most Americans, cars aren't simply a way of getting around -- they're a reflection of people's personality. So, for many Americans, gas mileage may be an important factor when buying a car -- but...

Are the Proposed Truck Driver Safety Regulations Unsafe?

The U.S. Transportation Department has proposed new safety regulations that would limit truck drivers' hours to 10 hours per day, down from the current limit of 11 hours daily, and reduce their overnight...

Highest U.S. Underemployment Rates: Illinois, California and Michigan

U.S. unemployment rates have been slipping, hitting a two-year low last month, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. But what about the rate of underemployment, or the number of workers employed part time...