NEW YORK — Retail sales rose strongly in September, the fifth straight month of growth, as Americans spent more on clothing, cars and sporting goods. U.S. retail sales jumped 1.9% last month, the U.S. Commerce Department said Friday. That's more than double what was economists were expected. And it's up...
US New-Home Sales Rose 1.3% in November
WASHINGTON — U.S. sales of newly built homes increased 1.3% in November from the prior month, a sign that low mortgage rates are pushing up purchases as well as prices. The Commerce Department said Monday that new single-family houses sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 719,000 last month....
Pollstar Says U2 Top Touring Act Over the Last Decade
NEW YORK — It was a beautiful decade for U2 on the touring front, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers raked in over $1 billion in sales to be named the artist of the decade by Pollstar. The touring trade publication tracks data on tours globally. It says U2...
Yogurt Sales Show US Breakfast Culture is Changing
What’s eating yogurt? Despite shelves full of new varieties — from Icelandic to Australian to coconut-based — U.S. yogurt sales are in a multiyear slump. Yogurt companies are confident that more new products can boost sales. But some analysts are skeptical, saying larger trends — like growing sales of protein bars —...
US Retail Sales Rise Moderately as Auto-Buying Jumps
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose moderately in August, driven higher by a jump in auto buying and healthy online sales, evidence that consumers are still spending enough to support growth. The Commerce Department said Friday that retail sales increased 0.4% last month, down from a strong 0.8% in July....
'What's in Your Weed?' California to Push Pot Users to Go Legal
LOS ANGELES — Marijuana shoppers are going to be getting a message from California regulators: Go legal. Aiming to slow illegal pot sales that are undercutting the nation's largest licensed market, California is kicking off a public information campaign — Get #weedwise — that encourages consumers to verify their purchases...
Tesla Raises Goal in Capital Hunt and Musk Doubles Down
DETROIT — Just one day after announcing plans to sell notes and stock to raise much-needed capital, Tesla boosted the size of its offering to as high as $2.7 billion on Friday. The Palo Alto, California, electric car and solar panel maker said it's increasing the offer due to the...
Tesla Posts Surprisingly Large 1Q Loss as Sales Slump 31%
SAN FRANCISCO — Tesla CEO Elon Musk had prepped Wall Street for a first quarter loss but analysts were still stunned by its size: $702.1 million, among the company's worst quarters in the past two years. The net loss was more than double what analysts had predicted as Tesla's sales...
Home Sales Fall 4.9% in Slow Start to Spring Buying Season
WASHINGTON — Sales of existing U.S. homes fell in March after a huge gain the previous month, held back partly by a sharp slowdown among the most expensive properties. The National Association of Realtors said Monday that home sales fell 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.21 million,...
Drug Company Used Rap Video to Push for Higher Doses, Sales
BOSTON — Employees at a drug company accused of bribing doctors rapped and danced around a person dressed as a bottle of the highly addictive fentanyl spray in a video meant to motivate sales reps to push the drug. The video was shown to jurors this week in the closely...