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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Department of Commerce

Department of Commerce stories: 43 news summaries

21 - 40 of 43 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 Next >>

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Green Energy Jobs: Will They Save the Economy?

Obama's plans for investment in renewable energy turn cost into benefit

Nov 7, 08 6:51 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama's ambitious plans to use green energy investment to rev up the economy are igniting fierce debate over the math behind them, the Wall Street Journal writes. The president-elect says $150 billion in investment will create five million jobs over the next decade, in construction and installation. Critics charge... More »

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Barack Obama • alternative energy • green energy • renewable energy • Department of Commerce • job creation • President Obama

 Gas Prices Lowest in Year 

Lower gas worth $1000 a year for families

Oct 21, 08 2:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - The price of gasoline has dropped to its lowest level in a year, Reuters reports. The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $2.91, a drop of 57 cents per gallon in just the last two weeks. Gas is most expensive in San Francisco, at... More »

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petroleum • gas prices • Department of Commerce • crude oil • Energy Information Administration • Diesel

 Palin Billed 
 State to 
 Live at Home 

Gov. charged per diem home fee, and family got $43K in travel expenses

Sep 9, 08 3:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska nearly $17,000 in per diem fees for 312 nights she spent at her Wasilla home, even though she had moved with her family to the state capitol of Juneau before the legislative session last year, reports the Washington Post. The state has... More »

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Juneau • Department of Commerce • Sarah Palin • Republican National Convention • Wasilla • Todd Palin • travel expenses • per diems • Kim Garnero

MARKETS

 Stocks Send Mixed Messages 

Falling oil prices have lost their ability to spur gains in equities

Sep 3, 08 3:36 PM CDT
(Newser) - The markets saw mixed gains today as investors weighed falling oil, mildly positive manufacturing news and another big drop in domestic auto sales, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed up 15.96 at 11,532.88. The Nasdaq added 15.51 to close at 2,333.73, and... More »

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Dow Jones • General Motors • Ford • Nasdaq • Department of Commerce • S&P 500 • oil prices

MARKETS

 Stocks Rally on GDP Revision

MBIA's jump leads insurers higher, and lower energy prices power big gains

Aug 28, 08 3:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks rallied today as MBIA led gains for bond insurers and the news of an upward revision to the second-quarter US gross domestic product brightened investor sentiment, MarketWatch reports. The Dow rose 212.67 to close at 11,715.18. The Nasdaq gained 29.18, closing at 2,411.64,... More »

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Dow Jones • Nasdaq • GDP • MBIA • Department of Commerce • S&P 500 • financial stocks • Hurricane Gustav

Economy

GDP Grew More in Q2
Than First Reported

Commerce Department revision shows healthier growth

Aug 28, 08 12:06 PM CDT
(Newser) - GDP growth was higher than initially reported in the second quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports. Commerce Department revisions put the increase at a seasonally adjusted 3.3% annual rate—the original estimate was 1.9%. Businesses decreased their inventories less than previously thought. At the same time, exports rose... More »

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economic growth • imports • exports • unemployment • GDP • Department of Commerce • unemployment benefits • economy • inventory growth

MARKETS

 Street Rallies on Retail, Jobs 

Wal-Mart among big winners as indices rebound from 3 days of losses

Jun 5, 08 3:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - The markets rebounded from a 3-day losing streak today as retailers posted strong sales and weekly claims for jobless benefits fell, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow climbed 213.97, closing at 12,604.45, and the Nasdaq gained 46.80 to settle at 2,549.94. The S&... More »

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retail • Costco • Dow Jones • Nasdaq • Department of Commerce • jobless claims • S&P 500 • Wal-Mart • BJ's Wholesale Club

MARKETS

 Markets Up in Rollercoaster Day 

Dow posts modest gain on mixed news

May 28, 08 3:34 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks rose, fell, and rose again as mixed economic news pulled the market in opposite directions today, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow ended up 45.68, at 12,594.03. The Nasdaq climbed 5.46 to 2,486.70, and the S&P 500 rose 5.49 to... More »

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Dow Jones • Nasdaq • AIG • aircraft • Department of Commerce • S&P 500 • financial stocks

 Housing Starts
 Hit 17-Year Low 

March starts plummet 11.9% as foreclosures create glut on market

Apr 16, 08 8:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Foreclosures and a glut of unsold homes flooding the market were blamed for an 11.9% drop in new housing starts last month, more than twice the slide economists had predicted, reports Bloomberg. Starts are at the lowest level since March 1991, according to the Commerce Department, casting a pall... More »

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housing market • construction • foreclosure • Department of Commerce • new construction • subprime crisis • new housing starts

Markets

 Stocks Fall on Consumer Data 

Weekly losses for Dow and S&P

Mar 28, 08 3:47 PM CDT
(Newser) - Stocks erased morning gains on poor consumer spending news to wrap up today's session in negative territory. The Dow and the S&P 500 racked up weekly losses of 1.2% and 1.1%, Bloomberg reports. The Dow fell 86.38 today to close at 12,216.08. The Nasdaq... More »

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New York Stock Exchange • JCPenney • Dow Jones • Macy's • Nasdaq • Department of Commerce • S&P 500

Personal Spending Slows
to a Crawl in February

Inflation cooling, but consumer confidence is down

Mar 28, 08 11:37 AM CDT
(Newser) - Personal spending—a major force in the health of the economy— rose just 0.1% in February, its smallest increase in 16 months, the Wall Street Journal reports. The increase, which actually beat analysts' estimate of a 0.1% decrease, came despite a bump in personal income and signs that... More »

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inflation • income • recession • consumer spending • Department of Commerce • savings • economy

 GDP Growth Weakest Since '02 

0.6% increase matches estimates; markets still focused on credit issues

Mar 27, 08 12:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - The US economy sputtered—as expected—in the fourth quarter of 2007, growing at the slowest rate since 2002, MarketWatch reports. Estimated growth of the US gross domestic product was 0.6% for the last three months of 2007, matching economists' forecasts. Consumer spending grew 2.3%, and exports increased... More »

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consumer spending • US economy • credit crisis • Department of Commerce • macroeconomic data • inventory growth • US gross domestic product

Tourism Busts Pre-9/11 Record

57 million foreign visitors traveled to US

Mar 11, 08 3:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Nearly 57 million foreign tourists visited the US last year, pumping more than $123 billion into the economy, Reuters reports. It's the first time a tourism record has been broken since the 9/11 attacks staggered the industry. Some 17.7 million visitors traveled from Canada and 15 million from Mexico.... More »

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Japan • Mexico • tourism • Canada • United States • Department of Commerce • Carlos Gutierrez • vistors • Travel Industry Association

US in Recession Now: Buffett

Billionaire says crisis is already here

Mar 4, 08 3:28 AM CST
(Newser) - The US is already in a recession for all practical purposes, even if economic conditions haven't yet met the technical definition of at least two consecutive quarters of negative growth. That's the verdict of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who tells CNBC that a serious economic slowdown is obvious in reports... More »

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Warren Buffett • recession • trade deficit • GDP • credit crisis • Berkshire Hathaway • Department of Commerce • annual letter • National Association for Business Economics • GEICO • General Re • insurance industry • profit margins

Construction Spending Tumbles

Spending falls at fastest rate since 1994

Mar 3, 08 10:23 AM CST
(Newser) - Construction spending fell at its fastest rate in 14 years in January, the Commerce Department announced today, shattering expectations with a 1.7% drop. Analysts had expected just a 0.7% decline, the Wall Street Journal reports. Residential spending was the big drag, falling 2.9%, but non-residential spending... More »

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construction • housing • recession • manufacturing • Department of Commerce • manufacturing index • ISM index • residential building • non-residential building • commerical loan standards

Retail Sales In Surprise Swoon

Sales drop 0.4% in Dec.; consumers finally slowed by housing woes, gas prices

Jan 15, 08 8:42 AM CST
(Newser) - Retail sales fell 0.4% in December, an unexpected drop that capped off retailers’ worst year since 2002 and is sure to fuel rampant recession fears. “Consumer spending slowed down pretty dramatically,” one economist tells Bloomberg. “We are kind of flying very close to a stall speed.... More »

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inflation • Ben Bernanke • consumer spending • Department of Commerce • retail sales

Tech Sales to China Raise
Red Flags

Weapons experts say imports could upgrade military—or be sold

Jan 2, 08 9:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Chinese companies linked to the People’s Liberation Army were cleared to import sensitive high-tech equipment from the US after the Bush administration eased restrictions blocking the sale of technology with military applications, the New York Times reports. One company has ties to arms sales to Iran and Syria, claims... More »

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China • Iran • technology • military • Syria • imports • Department of Commerce • People's Liberation Army • Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control • arms control • militarization

Home Prices Show Record Drop

Consumer confidence off too; the credit market is to blame, again

Aug 28, 07 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - The credit market is continuing to weigh on economic indicators, Bloomberg reports, as home prices and consumer confidence both notched records in their downward swoon. A report released today showed home values down an unprecedented 3.2% in the second quarter. Consumer confidence this month fell to its lowest levels... More »

MORE ABOUT:
home sales • consumer confidence • US economy • credit market • Department of Commerce • mortgage loans

Stocks Climb Following Surprising Home Sales Numbers

Markets, optimism surge as turmoil eases

Aug 24, 07 4:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Dow closed at 13,378.87 today, up 142.99 on strong durable goods orders and a better-than-expected home sales forecast. The S&P 500 jumped 16.87 to 1,479.37, and the Nasdaq rose 34.99 to 2,576.69. Nucor Corp., the second-largest American steel manufacturer,... More »

MORE ABOUT:
stock market • Dow Jones • Merrill Lynch • recession • Nasdaq • markets • Countrywide • Department of Commerce • Nucor Corp. • S&P 500

New-Home Sales Grow, Spur Wall St.

But new figures don't fully reflect credit market's impact, analysts say

Aug 24, 07 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - New-home sales grew 2.8% last month, delivering an unexpected bit of good news to investors still reeling from the credit crunch. But the housing market, which had been rebounding in recent months from a slump, will likely show renewed weakness after he mortgage crisis dust settles, Bloomberg reports. More »

MORE ABOUT:
Ben Bernanke • Wall Street • real estate • Federal Reserve • home sales • credit market • interest rate • Countrywide • Toll Brothers • Department of Commerce • housing crisis

21 - 40 of 43 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 Next >>


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