Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: consumer spending

consumer spending stories: 97 news summaries

81 - 97 of 97 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5

Switch to grid view »

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 »

MORE ABOUT:
inflation • Ben Bernanke • consumer spending • Department of Commerce • retail sales

American Express Feels Credit Crunch

With defaults on rise, company taking hefty fourth-quarter charge

Jan 10, 08 7:33 PM CST
(Newser) - With consumer spending slowing and credit defaults on the rise, American Express said today it will take a fourth-quarter charge of $275 million to build up its charge-card reserves, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company, which cited housing turmoil as a contributing factor, also predicted earnings to come in... More »

MORE ABOUT:
housing market • American Express • consumer spending • credit card • credit card loans

Goldman Predicts Recession

Wall Street's top firm sees two unhappy quarters ahead

Jan 10, 08 12:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Goldman Sachs is predicting that the economy will slide into a recession this year—which has Wall Street worried, because Goldman’s been right about everything else. The investment firm forecasts a mild pullback extending over two quarters, driving up already-growing unemployment. “If we don't get job growth we... More »

MORE ABOUT:
inflation • Goldman Sachs • Federal Reserve • recession • unemployment • consumer spending • US economy • interest rate cut

Consumers Open Wallets Wide

Spending index records biggest increase since July 2005

Dec 21, 07 11:14 AM CST
(Newser) - Consumer spending grew 1.1% in November, its biggest rise since July 2005. The better-than-predicted figure accompanied a revised 0.4% October gain, adjusted from 0.2%. Taken together, the numbers “postpone fears of a recession at least until next year,” said one economist. Jobs numbers and salaries... More »

MORE ABOUT:
recession • consumer spending • Best Buy • job

(Newser) - November’s retail sales confounded doomsayers, surging 1.2%, twice the 0.6% analysts predicted, Bloomberg reports. Many had worried that consumer spending would take a hit as gas rose and housing fell, but now it looks like job and income growth could cushion the fall. “The numbers should... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Ben Bernanke • retail • Federal Reserve • recession • consumer spending • US economy • retail sales

Even Fat
Wallets Closing

Nation's wealthiest aren't spending, signaling steep economic trouble

Nov 25, 07 12:34 PM CST
(Newser) - Wealthy consumers, the 20% of the population responsible for nearly 40% of consumer spending, are closing their wallets, indicating an even rougher economic road ahead, reports Bloomberg. “When they begin to capitulate, that’s when we all head down,” said one economist. Blame deflating real estate prices and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
consumer confidence • consumer spending • US economy

US Ranks
Third in GDP Per Person

Household spending rate is second-highest in world, report says

Nov 22, 07 11:42 AM CST
(Newser) - The US trails only Luxembourg and Norway in GDP per person and has the second highest household spending rates among 55 nations in a new report, reports the Wall Street Journal. The GDP measures household and government spending as well as business investment and net exports. The US per... More »

MORE ABOUT:
world economy • consumer spending • GDP

GDP Grows at 3.9% Clip Despite Housing Crunch

GDP tops estimates on increased consumer spending

Oct 31, 07 11:27 AM CDT
(Newser) - The US economy grew at a brisk 3.9% pace in the third quarter despite the credit and housing turmoil buffeting Wall Street, according to Commerce Department figures released today. Overall construction spending was up—with record commercial and government spending offsetting the housing slide—while individuals increased spending 3%... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Ben Bernanke • economic growth • Federal Reserve • consumer spending • GDP • Fed funds rate

Middle-Class Squeeze Is
No Illusion

Don't blame frivolous spending, experts say; expenses really are up

Oct 16, 07 6:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - The proliferation of Starbucks and designer jeans is a red herring—today's middle class has less spending money than ever, says a Harvard law professor. People can buy more stuff because prices are down, but that provides a skewed picture. "These are things you don't see at the mall:... More »

MORE ABOUT:
middle class • consumer spending

Housing Slump Dampens '08 Prospects

Economists cut growth forecast; still predict better rate than '07

Oct 10, 07 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Economists cut projections for 2008 growth for a third consecutive month, Reuters reports, signaling the fallout from mortgage woes will be widespread and prolonged. A survey of 52 experts estimated the economy would expand 2.4% next year; they’d predicted 2.6% growth last month and 2.8% the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
subprime mortgages • consumer spending • predictions • job

Consumer Confidence Plummets

Metric falls more than predicted on job fears, market turmoil

Sep 25, 07 1:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - American consumers might need to be talked off some ledges, judging from consumer confidence numbers out today, which indicate continuing worry over employment and stock market unrest. The crucial figure—99.8, compared to 105.6 in August—is the lowest since 2005, the Conference Board says. Economists had expected... More »

MORE ABOUT:
consumer confidence • recession • consumer spending

Expected Fed Rate Cut Could Halt Crisis

Wall Street counting on help to boost falling stock prices

Sep 17, 07 3:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - What happens next in the volatile world stock markets could depend on Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke. The Fed is expected to cut the interest rates banks charge each other for overnight loans, currently 5.25%. It would make loans cheaper, boost consumer spending, revive stock prices and ultimately, prevent... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Ben Bernanke • Federal Reserve • Dow Jones • mortgage • consumer spending • home equity • Fed funds rate

Jobless Claims Rise, but Economists See Silver Lining

Figures lower than expected as labor market deals with volatility

Sep 13, 07 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - First-time applications for jobless claims rose last week, but economists are encouraged that the figures were less than expected, Bloomberg reports today. Claims grew by 4,000 to 319,000—still well short of the 325,000 applications expected. The numbers suggest that the labor market isn’t collapsing, despite... More »

MORE ABOUT:
unemployment • consumer spending • US economy • credit market • Department of Labor • jobless claims • housing crisis • job

Consumer Confidence Plummets

Wall Street woes
might be spreading
to Main Street

Aug 17, 07 5:37 PM CDT
(Newser) - Consumer confidence dropped dramatically in August, according to the latest index released by Reuters and the University of Michigan. The metric places consumer sentiment at 83.3, the lowest reading of the year, and well below the predicted 88.0. It may be a sign that chaos on Wall Street... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Wall Street • Federal Reserve • consumer confidence • consumer spending • interest rate • consumer confidence index

Inflation Softened in July

Housing slump, fuel prices weaken spending

Aug 15, 07 9:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - Consumer prices in the US in July rose at the slowest rate in eight months. The housing slump—and fuel costs—have weakened consumer spending considerably, forcing retailers to slash prices, Bloomberg reports.  Prices rose only rose 0.1% in July, as predicted by analysts. Yields of U.S.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
inflation • retail • housing market • Federal Reserve • consumer spending • US economy • consumer prices

Jobless Rate Rises While
GDP Rebounds

Economic growth balances looming
threat of inflation

Aug 3, 07 12:44 PM CDT
(Newser) - The unemployment rate increased slightly in the second quarter, but the GDP recovered after a lackluster first quarter, providing Wall Street with a mixed report card of the nation’s economy as the Fed meets to determine interest rates. Unemployment ticked up 0.1% to 4.6%, hastened by losses... More »

MORE ABOUT:
inflation • Wall Street • economic growth • Federal Reserve • construction • unemployment • consumer spending • US economy • GDP • manufacturing • interest rate

5 Reasons to Think Bearish

Despite record growth, Wall Street has plenty of cause for concern, Business Week says

Jul 22, 07 8:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - Wall Street is giddy with low unemployment, optimistic earnings predictions, and a resilient economy, but BusinessWeek lists five things for investors to worry about.
  1. Volatility in earnings, especially tech companies
  2. Consumer spending, as gas prices take their toll
  3. Inflation, which could prompt the fed to raise interest rates
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
inflation • Ben Bernanke • Wall Street • Federal Reserve • subprime mortgages • earnings reports • core inflation • corporate earnings • consumer spending

81 - 97 of 97 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5


from our news partners