S&P 500 Sinks 3.5% as Surging Virus Cases Lead to Shutdowns

The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 943 points Wednesday as surging coronavirus cases forced more shutdown measures in Europe and raised fears of more restrictions in the U.S. The S&P 500 slid 3.5%, its third straight loss and its biggest drop since J...

US Retail Sales Grow for 5th Month in a Row

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. Commer...

Stocks Fall on Wall Street as Hopes Fade for Stimulus Deal

Stocks gave up early gains and closed lower Wednesday, adding to Wall Street's losses from a day earlier. The S&P 500 fell 0.7% after spending the morning swaying between small gains and losses. Companies that rely on consumer spending, banks and techno...

Consumer Confidence Posts Solid Gain in September

WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence rebounded more quickly in September than most economists had expected though they remain far from levels that were the norm before the pandemic struck. The Conference Bo...

Orders for Big-Ticket Manufactured Goods Ticks up Just 0.4%

WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods increased just 0.4% in August following a much larger gain in the previous month. It was the fourth consecutive monthly increase, but the most recent uptick was far weaker than the 11.7...

US Consumer Confidence Tumbles in July as COVID-19 Spreads

WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence tumbled in July to a reading of 92.6 as coronavirus infections spread in many parts of the country. The consumer confidence index is closely watched for signals it can send about future consumer spending, which accounts...