A recession is the decline of a nation's gross domestic product (GDP) over two or more consecutive quarters. It is also referred to as a period of economic decline and reduced economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way. GDP, employment, investment spending, capacity utilization, household incomes; business profits and inflation all fall, while bankruptcies and the unemployment rate rise. Here is a list of recessions that occurred since the Great ...
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and other top U.S. regulators will appear before the Senate Banking Committee next week to discuss the implementation of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, the committee announced on Thursday.
New applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a 2-1/2-year low last week, pointing to a stronger footing for the labor market as the economic recovery gathers momentum. The fall in claims reported by the Labor Department on Thursday partly reflected the unwinding of a weather-related spike in late January but analysts said it was consistent with other indicators suggesting a strengthening labor market.
Five new Republican faces for a possible run for the U.S. presidency in 2012 are in this year's straw poll of thousands of conservative activists who have made their annual trek to Washington this week.
The U.S. government should only back home loans as a last resort in times of economic stress and should explicitly charge for that support, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.
The U.S. economy may not need further help from the Federal Reserve when its $600 billion stimulus plan runs out in June, but that decision will hinge on the path of the economy, a top Fed official said on Wednesday.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's recent bond purchases have had a helpful effect on financial conditions, with the rise in long-term interest rates largely due to economic optimism, a senior Fed official said on Wednesday.
Economists took their turns encouraging and attacking the policies of money supply managers of the U.S. Federal Reserve System on Wednesday, as the nation faces 9 percent unemployment, slow economic growth and rising federal debt and deficits.
Gold was little changed on Wednesday as the market was underpinned by a dollar drop and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comment that he had no plans to scrap a massive bond-buying program, indicating interest rates will not rise any time soon.
U.S. stocks finished narrowly mixed after Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke warned that unemployment may remain at elevated level for several years, although he downplayed inflation risks.
Federal Reserve chairman said the risk of inflation was “quite low” and that higher prices in emerging markets were unlikely to spill over into the U.S.
The following are highlights from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony on the economy to the House Budget Committee on Wednesday.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday suggested U.S. economic conditions are still too weak for the central bank to pull back on its vast monetary stimulus, despite a welcome drop in the jobless rate.
U.S. stocks declined in early trade on Wednesday as investors preferred to take profits after the Dow Jones Industrial Average reached its highest level since June 2008 on Tuesday.
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke testimony on The Economic Outlook and Monetary and Fiscal Policy Before the Committee on the Budget, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. February 9, 2011
U.S. stocks opened modestly lower on Wednesday as investors await comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on the economic outlook and monetary policy.
Gold rose back towards yesterday's 3-week peaks in London on Wednesday, pushing higher against all major currencies as world stock markets slipped.
Gold held close to the previous session's near three-week high in Europe on Wednesday, supported by an increased focus on inflation after China's second interest rate hike in six weeks.
While 1994 was dubbed as the worst year for fixed income investors, we believe that the next twelve months could be even worse
RBC Capital Markets said banks with strongest capital and increased profitability are expected to get green light on dividends. The Federal Reserve is expected to approve dividend increases.
China used its regulatory powers to scour the books of Citibank Shanghai in a hostile and extraordinarily intrusive 2007 audit that appeared primarily aimed at controlling Citi's growth and uncovering its secrets to success, the bank's top China executive at the time told U.S. officials.
Two top Federal Reserve officials said on Tuesday they expect the central bank's $600 billion bond purchase program to run its full course, while a third said the central bank should seriously consider scaling it back.
