Just about anything, at any time, can happen working retail. But, two weeks ago at our small winery, something occurred that I suspect could only happen right now, during China’s ascending financial star. During a tasting with four business professionals, ...

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WASHINGTON — Home prices rose in March from February in most major U.S. cities for the first time in seven months. The increase is the latest evidence of a slow recovery taking shape in the housing market. The Standard & ...

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NEW YORK  — It’s Memorial Day weekend and our national obsession with the price of gasoline is in focus once again. We’ll spend a little less at the pump than a few weeks ago, but that won’t stop us from ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans bought more new homes last month, the latest evidence that the U.S. housing market could be starting to recover. New-home sales increased 3.3 percent in April from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 343,000, the ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans are buying more homes in every region of the country, the latest indication that the housing market could be on the mend. An increasing portion of those sales are from first-time buyers, who are critical to a ...

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WASHINGTON — A big decline in gas and energy costs drove a measure of U.S. wholesale prices lower in April. Outside that drop, prices barely rose. The Labor Department said Friday that the producer price index dropped 0.2 percent last ...

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WASHINGTON — Retailers are paying significantly less every time a customer swipes a debit card under a rule capping the fees that banks are allowed to charge. The Federal Reserve says in a report Tuesday that the average fee paid ...

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NEW YORK — The worst is over, for now. Gasoline prices are starting to fall. After a four-month surge pushed gasoline to nearly $4 per gallon in early April, drivers, politicians and economists worried that gasoline prices might soar past ...

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WASHINGTON — U.S. builders requested the most permits in March for single-family homes and apartments in 3½ years, suggesting that many expect the housing market to improve over the next year. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that permits, a gauge of ...

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WASHINGTON — Americans bought more electronics, started more home improvement projects and updated their wardrobes last month, inspired by warmer weather and a healthier job market. Retail sales rose 0.8 percent in March, the Commerce Department said Monday. The gain ...

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