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Home prices rise 12.4 pct., most in 7.5 years
WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices rose 12.4 percent in July compared with a year ago, the most since February 2006. An increase in sales on a limited supply of available homes drove the gains. The Standard &Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index reported Tuesday improved from June, when it rose 12.1 percent from a year ago. […]
Gary S. Williams: More investors are turning to alternatives
Recent studies indicate that investors are turning increasingly to commodities, hedge funds, private equity and other alternative investments to bolster returns and diversify their holdings.
Weak U.S. job market weighs on broader economy
WASHINGTON — The sluggish job market is weighing on the U.S. economy three years after the Great Recession ended and it doesn’t look to be getting much better any time soon. A measure of the number of people applying for unemployment benefits over the past month is at a six-month high, the government said Thursday. […]
Service companies expanded in May
WASHINGTON — U.S. service companies, which employ roughly 90 percent of the work force, grew at a slightly faster pace in May, marking the 29th straight month of expansion. The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its index of non-manufacturing activity edged up to 53.7 last month from an April reading of 53.5. The […]
Measuring the large impact of small businesses
In trying to increase opportunities for small business development, it might be helpful to understand the impact small businesses have on our economy. While we constantly hear about the Dow and Standard and Poor’s analysis of major publicly traded companies, there is no real index of how small businesses are performing. However, our economy is […]
U.S. consumer confidence is roughly flat in March
NEW YORK — Americans’ rosy outlook about the U.S. economy remains resilient as they focus on the good in the barrage of conflicting economic news. A widely watched barometer of consumer confidence barely budged in March after last month hitting the highest level it had been in a year. Americans continued to be upbeat in […]
Realities of Real Estate: Trying to find the future in the numbers
Every so often we look at the overall performance of the real estate markets, and based on what the numbers tell us, try to glean a glimpse of what the future might hold. As with many things, the beginning of a new year is an appropriate time to get some fresh perspective. In evaluating the […]
Realities of Real Estate: The health of the market; looking back and going forward
Every so often we look at the overall performance of the real estate markets, and based on what the numbers tell us, try to glean a glimpse of what the future might hold. As with many things, the beginning of a new year is an appropriate time to get some fresh perspective. In evaluating the […]
Consumer confidence index surges in December
Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing. An improving job outlook helped the Consumer Confidence Index soar to the highest level since April and near a post-recession peak, according to a monthly survey by The Conference Board. The second straight monthly surge coincided with a decent holiday shopping season for retailers, […]
Consumer confidence rises in July
NEW YORK — Two years into the recovery, Americans’ confidence in the economy continues its rollercoaster ride. As their short-term outlook on jobs and income eased somewhat amid a mix of optimistic and bad economic news, U.S. consumers’ confidence rose slightly to 59.5 in July, according to a survey released Tuesday by a private research […]
Home-price index at lowest point since 2006 bust
WASHINGTON — Home prices in major areas have reached their lowest level since the U.S. housing bubble burst in 2006, driven down by foreclosures, a glut of unsold homes and the reluctance or inability of many to buy. Prices fell from February to March in 18 of the metro areas tracked by the Standard & […]
Contracts to buy homes fall to a 7-month low
WASHINGTON — The number of people who signed contracts to buy homes fell sharply in April, hitting its lowest point since fall and renewing fears that a recovery in the housing market is far off. An index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes sank 11.6 percent last month to a reading of 81.9, the […]
