S&P 500 Climbs 1.2%, Hits Record

A rally in technology stocks propelled the S&P 500 to a high, as the Dow added nearly 400 points to hit its own record. 


 
Americans Are Suddenly a Lot More Upbeat About the Economy

The University of Michigan's gauge posted the largest two-month gain since 1991. 


 
Home Sales Were the Lowest in Almost 30 Years in 2023

High mortgage rates and prices made home-buying prohibitively expensive for many people last year. 


 
Goolsbee says it's too soon to determine when Fed will cut interest rates

Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee on Friday declined to say when he thinks the central bank will cut interest rates, but he said reductions could be expected this year "if we continue to make surprising progress on inflation." 


 
Business Is Facing Up to the Risks of Destroying the Natural World

Hundreds of companies have volunteered to measure and report their impact on the natural world, as they recognize the growing risks to their own operations from environmental degradation. 


 
An Unusual Alliance Pushes Back on Fed's Bank Capital Plan

Some civil-rights groups and Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the proposal. 


 
Canada Retail Sales Fall 0.2% in November

Retail sales rose 0.8% in December after sales in November retreated 0.2% to a seasonally adjusted 66.61 billion Canadian dollars, the equivalent of about $49.38 billion. 


 
U.K. Shoppers Bring Little Christmas Cheer as Sales Plunge

Retail sales fell 3.2% in December, a much sharper drop than expected, and offering little help to a listless U.K. economy at the end of the year. 


 
China Has a New Youth Jobless Rate. Some Economists Are Ignoring It.

The country released a lower number based on a new methodology that has some scratching their heads. 


 
A Hot Debt Market Is Slashing Borrowing Costs for Riskier Companies

Companies with low credit ratings are rushing to reduce their borrowing costs even before the Federal Reserve makes a single interest-rate cut.


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-19-24 1915ET