consumer confidence

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Stocks in Holding Pattern With All Eyes on Fed

Hands wring over Fed and consumers

(Newser) - Stocks marked time today, settling into an eerie calm before next week’s nail-biter Fed decision on interest rates. Investors mulled conflicting consumer data: The University of Michigan/Reuters consumer-sentiment survey announced a rise to 83.8, but August retail growth was less than expected. The confusion amounted to modest gains...

Consumer Confidence Plunges
Consumer Confidence Plunges

Consumer Confidence Plunges

Vital index hits level not seen since post-Katrina unrest

(Newser) - Consumer confidence dived in August to its lowest level since right after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Though not as steep as expected, the drop reflects the squeeze stock market uncertainty and lower home values are putting on Americans' wallets and peace of mind, Bloomberg reports. "The things that are...

Home Prices Show Record Drop
Home Prices Show Record Drop

Home Prices Show Record Drop

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

(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...

Consumer Comfort Crumbles
Consumer Comfort Crumbles

Consumer Comfort Crumbles

Biggest 1-week drop in history sinks levels near post-Katrina lows

(Newser) - Unrest in the financial markets and housing sector has consumers on edge, a new survey says. The Washington Post/ABC News "consumer comfort index" nosedived this week, displaying the biggest 1-week plunge in the poll's 22-year history, the newspaper reports. The current reading nearly matches the lows reached after Katrina...

Consumer Confidence Plummets
Consumer Confidence Plummets

Consumer Confidence Plummets

Wall Street woes might be spreading to Main Street

(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...

Companies Cash In on Food Scare
Companies Cash In on Food Scare

Companies Cash In on Food Scare

As fears about imports from China mount, premium products flourish

(Newser) - The contaminated-import crisis, set off when potentially dangerous products from China turned up on the shelves of pet stores, supermarkets, and drugstores, has meant bigger profits for clever companies. BusinessWeek looks at several strategies: using only fresh, local ingredients in premium products; finding ingredients from somewhere other than China; and...

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