RETAIL SALES

U.S. online sales are expected to rise 8 percent this holiday season, with mass market retailers who can offer discounts performing best, according to Forrester Research Inc.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday after a dip in U.S. consumer confidence revived worries about the pace of economic recovery, while the Australian dollar hit a two-week low as inflation data pared bets on an aggressive rate rise.

Asian shares fell on Wednesday after a dip in U.S. consumer confidence revived worries about the pace of economic upturn, while the Australian dollar eased as inflation data made investors reduce their bets on an aggressive rate rise.

The Australian Dollar opens little-changed today against its U.S. counterpart at 0.9150. Despite a poor lead from local equities, the Aussie held onto support around the 0.9130 where buyers emerged pushing it up towards an intraday high of 0.9182. Supporting the unit was a positive quarterly NAB business confidence survey which increased by 20 points.

Foreman Danny Miranda remembers the days when the Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, ports were so jammed that ships waited in line to unload. Now the lingering recession has longshoremen waiting in line for work.

Foreman Danny Miranda remembers the days when the Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, ports were so jammed that ships waited in line to unload. Now the lingering recession has longshoremen waiting in line for work.

Asian shares rose to 14-month highs on Thursday after upbeat U.S. retail sales and earnings reports prompted a shift to riskier assets, pushing the U.S. dollar to a 14-month low and prompting Asian governments to step in to curb currency strength.

Asian shares rose to 14-month highs on Thursday as upbeat retail sales and surprisingly bullish earnings reports in the United States buoyed risk appetite, pushing the U.S. dollar to a 14-month low.

The Dow industrials pierced the 10,000 level on Wednesday for the first time in a year on surprisingly robust company results and better-than-expected retail sales.

The Dow industrials pierced the 10,000 level on Wednesday for the first time in a year on surprisingly robust company results and better-than-expected retail sales.

U.S. retail sales excluding those for autos rose for a second month in September, raising cautious optimism consumer spending could support the economy's fledgling recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s.

U.S. retail sales excluding auto purchases rose for a second month in September, raising cautious optimism consumer spending could support the economy's fledgling recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s.

U.S. retail and food services sales fell 1.5 percent in September compared with August due mostly to a sharp decline in motor vehicle and parts sales, the U.S. Commerce Department reported on Wednesday.

Sales at U.S. retailers fell in September, but rose excluding motor vehicles for a second straight month in September, raising cautious optimism consumer spending could support the economic recovery.

Michael Jackson picked up five American Music Awards on Tuesday, almost four months after his sudden death turned him into the biggest-selling artist of the year, organizers said on Tuesday.

Philips Electronics said it had still not seen a recovery in most of its markets and the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays would be a key test of whether shoppers' confidence has returned.

Stock futures climbed on Monday as a softer dollar helped boost commodity prices and, potentially, earnings of export oriented U.S. companies.

U.S. stock index futures climbed on Monday as a softer dollar helped boost commodity prices and, potentially, earnings of export oriented U.S. companies.

An economic indicator is information amassed and published by a government or private entity recording the activity in a particular economic sector, either in a specific industry or in an entire economy. Most indicators are statistical, but they can be anecdotal or subjective as well. Indicators are recorded and published on a regular basis by many organizations and are used by traders to assess the strengths or weaknesses of an economy, to predict future activity, to judge central bank policy, ...

The U.S. Federal Reserve must continue to prop up the economy for an extended period but can't do so indefinitely for fear of triggering an inflationary surge, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned on Thursday.

If consumer spending doesn't pick up later this year, a key retail sales forecast for the Christmas holidays may miss the mark, according to Dennis Jacobe, the chief economist at polling group Gallup.