The Federal Reserve on Tuesday acknowledged recent signs of strength in the economy and said recent financial market strains have eased, offering few clues on the chances for further monetary easing.
A full-text of the Federal Open Market Committee's statement from March 13 meeting.
Sales at U.S. retailers jumped in February by the most in five months, showing broad-based gains from autos to building materials, underscoring yet another hopeful sign of a strengthening economy.
Stock index futures advanced on Tuesday ahead of data that could provide clues about the intensity of consumer spending and before a monetary policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Stock index futures advanced on Tuesday ahead of data that could provide clues on the level of consumer spending and before a policy announcement from the Federal Reserve.
Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.56 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.45 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.54 percent at 0949 GMT.
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday is expected to hold a steady course on monetary policy, acknowledging a mildly brighter economic outlook while refraining from any suggestion that further easing is now off the table.
Japan's Nikkei average breached 10,000 for the third straight session before trimming gains to 0.9 percent Tuesday, lifted by defensive buying as investors looked for signs of further easing from the Bank of Japan.
Gold prices may have risen for more than a decade and surged in the last few years. But hedge fund manager Kyle Bass' prediction for 2012 and beyond is that prices still have a lot further to go.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee has its monthly meeting Tuesday, but no policy changes are expected, economists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch say.
It is our view that a rate cut from China could prove to be the next catalyst to push equity markets higher.
Gold fell on Monday, under pressure from a softer euro and from dwindling expectations for the Federal Reserve to signal the need for more measures to keep U.S. rates low, although longer-term investors took their bullion holdings to a fresh record.
Stocks were set for a slightly lower open on Monday as economic data in China and this week's Federal Open Market Committee announcement gave investors reason to pause after a three-day rally.
Stock index futures edged lower on Monday as economic data in China gave investors reason to pause after a three-day rally.
Gold edged lower on Monday after equities reversed gains and the U.S. dollar rallied to the highest in more than a month, but some investors opted to stay on the sidelines ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting this week that could weigh on the precious metal.
Stock index futures were little changed on Monday as economic data in China gave investors reason to pause after a 3-day rally.
Investors await the Conference Board's employment trend index for February at 10 a.m. EDT, followed by the U.S. Treasury Department's budget-deficit figures for February.
Asian shares fell Monday as investors paused to assess the effect of strong U.S. jobs data, which scaled back expectations for more easing ahead of this week's Federal Reserve meeting, while concerns over China's slowdown also weighed on sentiment.
Economists agree the current labor recovery is creating some jobs, but disagree as to which groups will benefit the most -- and what American society will end up looking like -- as a result. Their disagreements are full of useful insight that could be the base for future policies, if only policymakers were listening.
Employment grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery was strengthening and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve.
Employment grew solidly for a third straight month in February, a sign the economic recovery was broadening and in less need of further monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve.
U.S. employers hired more than 200,000 workers for a third straight month in February, indicating that companies are feeling more upbeat about the recovery.
