U.S. permits for future home construction surged to a near eight-year high in May, suggesting a building up of momentum in housing and the broader economy after a dismal performance at the start of the year.
Industry
U.S. hiring seen solid in June, keeping September rate hike in play
U.S. job growth likely cooled a bit in June after reaching a five-month high, but still-healthy hiring would suggest the labor market is strong enough to support a September interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve.
Banks slash payments to index funds for Russell rebalance
With the annual rebalance of the Russell stock indexes just a day away, brokerage firms are shaving the discounts they typically offer to big index funds on what is usually one of the biggest trading days of the year.
Uncertain future for global diamond trade as profits vanish
The family businesses that make up the global diamond trade have seen their profits wiped out over the past five years, hit by shaky financing, increased costs and uncertain demand from customers who prefer hi-tech gadgets to bling.
Hotel discounts are hard to keep if you extend your stay
Investment adviser Mitch Tuchman scored a deal any traveler would be proud of: $280 a night for a recent stay at the luxurious Viceroy Hotel in Manhattan, where the going rate can exceed more than $500 on a weeknight.
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Apparel retailer Gap Inc (GPS.N) said it would close a quarter of Gap specialty stores in North America over the next few years, including 140 this year, potentially affecting thousands of jobs as the company struggles with a slump in sales at its namesake brand.
Bigger isn't better for the world's gold miners, who are increasingly making "bite-sized" developments that carry less risk of budget disasters and fewer of the political and environmental disputes that have derailed mega-mines in recent years.
U.S. job growth accelerated sharply in May and wages picked up, signs of strong momentum in the economy that bolster prospects for a Federal Reserve interest rate hike in September.
U.S. job growth was likely solid in May and wages probably picked up a bit, suggesting sufficient momentum in the economy for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates later this year.
When Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) spent $2.4 billion on a stake in South Africa's Massmart (MSMJ.J) five years ago, the world's biggest retailer said it was buying a gateway to high-growth markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
U.S. consumer spending growth unexpectedly stalled in April as households cut back on purchases of automobiles and continued to boost savings, suggesting the economy was struggling to gain momentum early in the second quarter.
Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose for a fourth straight month in April to a nine-year high, buoying the outlook for the housing market and the overall economy.
Australian Symon Drake-Brockman is on the front line of a revolution in European finance. The former head of global debt markets at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) now runs Pemberton Asset Management in London's genteel Belgravia, several miles from the "Square Mile" City of London financial district where bankers work.
A gauge of U.S. business investment spending plans increased solidly for a second straight month in April, a hopeful sign for manufacturing activity after a long spell of weakness.
