WASHINGTON — Consumers spent less on autos, clothing and furniture to leave retail sales unchanged in August. The lack of growth suggests households became more cautious during wild stock market fluctuations and increased fears about the economy. The Commerce Department ...

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MINNEAPOLIS — Best Buy Co. said Tuesday its fiscal second-quarter net income fell 30 percent as consumers hit the pause button on buying electronics, particularly TVs and smart phones, while fears about the global economy persist. Results missed expectations and ...

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WASHINGTON— Consumer spending grew in July by 0.8 percent, the largest amount in five months. That followed a decline in June and helped ease fears that the U.S. economy is on the verge of another recession. Americans bought more cars ...

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NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Tuesday its second-quarter profit rose 5.7 percent, due to international sales growth and cost cutting. But the world’s largest retailer still wasn’t able to reverse a two-year sales slump at its Walmart stores ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans cut back on their spending in June for the first time in nearly two years and their incomes grew by the smallest amount in nine months, a troubling sign for an economy that is barely growing. Consumer spending ...

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WASHINGTON — Consumers spent more on cars and in big chain stores in June but falling gas prices held back retail sales. The Commerce Department said Thursday that retail sales rose a modest 0.1 percent last month. That follows a ...

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NEW YORK — A private research group is reporting that U.S. consumers’ confidence declined to a seven-month low as job worries increased. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index slipped to 58.5 in June, down from a revised 61.7 in May. ...

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WASHINGTON — For the first time in a year, Americans have stopped spending more. Consumer spending failed to budge from April to May, evidence that high gas prices and unemployment are squeezing household budgets. When adjusted for inflation, spending actually ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans spent in May at the weakest pace in 20 months, a sign that high gas prices and unemployment are holding back the economy. Consumer spending was unchanged, the Commerce Department said Monday. That was the worst result ...

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WASHINGTON — The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week rose by the most in a month, signaling growing weakness in the job market. Applications rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 last week, the Labor ...

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