Economy

After falling into its own recession last year, the housing market has started to turn decisively higher; but a sustained recovery might not be the strongest elixir for the economy.

Our chief market strategist breaks down the day's top business stories and offers insight on how they might impact your trading and investing.

A broadening out in market performance would help bolster a more sustainable stock rally, but that hinges on increasing clarity for monetary policy, recession risk, and bank stress.

Despite high volatility in the bond market during the first half of the year, what's surprising is how much didn't change.

The drama characterizing the first half of 2023 may abate, with potentially milder returns for investors due to effects from the Cardboard Box Recession.

With the clock ticking down to the June 5 government default date, lawmakers have no time to lose.

With the clock ticking down to the June 5 government default date, lawmakers have no time to lose.

While we don't expect the U.S. government to default, the uncertainty may heighten market volatility in coming days. Here are answers to some questions we're hearing most often.

Although the House narrowly approved a bill designed to jumpstart negotiations, the issue is far from resolved.

Growth stocks and growth mutual funds can fit into investment portfolios of people planning to retire in the coming few years, retirement experts say.

Employees and employers are adjusting to late-pandemic work life, including changes to flexibility in the workplace, benefits, and the perception of college degrees.

Understanding the relationships between stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies can help you identify economic trends and better manage your investments.

The crude oil market has reached highs due to supply bottlenecks, travel resurgence, and pressure on drillers. Will it reach $100 per barrel?

Treasury rates can be thought of as the backbone of the global economy. You can use the yield curve, which is a measure of interest rate expectations, to get an idea of economic conditions and trends.

A new $2 trillion infrastructure plan is making its way through Washington, leading many investors to seek new opportunities. But which sectors will get a boost?

Monthly economic reports can move markets, so you might want to brush up on your macroeconomics. Watch for the jobs report, GDP, and CPI.

Policy makers often use fiscal stimulus to stoke the economic embers and guide the economy toward long-term policy aims. Should you incorporate cues from fiscal spending into your portfolio strategy?

By now, most of us know the 2020 narrative about “stay-at-home” stocks and big tech having a great year while airlines, casinos, and hotels slumped. But is there a way investors could’ve identified the potential winners early? A deep dive into long-term societal trends might be key.

In the past, gridlock in Washington has often been associated with strong outcomes for the stock market. It looks like we’ll have gridlock again in 2021, so which sectors stand to possibly benefit, and is there any potential market downside?

After years of tepid inflation—that is, a general rise in prices—recent readings indicate it could be on the rise, helped by dovish monetary policy and fiscal stimulus. Is that good or bad? Here's a primer on inflation and what it could mean for your portfolio.

Markets—and the economy in general—tend to run in cycles, and each phase tends to favor certain sectors. Learn how sector investing can help investors seek specific objectives.

Learn about consumer confidence, consumer sentiment, personal income, and personal spending reports. Understanding measures of market sentiment can help traders and investors see a more complete picture of market fundamentals.

The CARES Act, designed to help an economy brought to its knees by the novel coronavirus pandemic, includes stimulus checks for U.S. taxpayers whose income falls below a threshold. Wondering what to do with yours?

Bear markets are often viewed negatively, but they’re part of a normal market cycle. Recognizing and understanding bear markets can put you in a better position to make strategic investment decisions when they come around.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales still attract the masses, but the trends—among shoppers and retailers alike—are shifting. Here's a look at the economic impact.

Tariffs have been part of American economic history from the country’s origins. Are tariffs good or bad for investors?

Our chief market strategist breaks down the day's top business stories and offers insight on how they might impact your trading and investing.

The classic definitions of bear and bull markets—rising and falling prices, respectively—only tell part of the story. Learn the details and nuances.

Geopolitical risks come in many forms, and can impact an investment portfolio in a number of ways. Here are a few basic points to consider.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) has scaled all-time high after all-time high this year. But what about transportation index?

Learn the different types of inflation, whether higher inflation may be coming, and how it might affect you.

Some economic indicators create more noise than others—learn to create trading strategies based on how markets might react to economic data.

Sector investing can help align investments to specific objectives. For investors with many years before retirement, focus on traditional growth sectors.

Learn how a rising dollar could impact economies, portfolios, and even your finances in 2017 and beyond.

Does the prevailing political party, Democratic or Republican, really make a difference to the stock market?

While no single indicator can provide a full, guaranteed snapshot of an economy, the Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) covers a lot of ground.

Halloween spending looks to be on the rise, and that could give investors a hint about the key Christmas shopping season and how it might affect retailers’ bo

Like the changing leaves outdoors, fall signals a change in the historical patterns of the stock market. Learn what the “best six months” has in store.

Learn why the Fed and traders follow the personal income and spending reports, especially the Personal Consumption Expenditures Index.

The U.S. dollar index (/DX) is strong. Since early May, the /DX has climbed 5.30. What might this mean for stocks?

Negative interest rate policy is a fact in the eurozone and Japan. How has it affected those economies, and what might investors expect if such policy ever ar

ETFs have matured but they’re not done evolving. Morningstar’s Scott Burns urges income-seeking investors to expand their minds and their research.

Economists and investors toss around the term “secular stagnation” to describe the below-trend slow-growth economy.

Study intermarket analysis for a more complete investing picture. Pull in bonds, currencies, and commodities with typical stock market research.

Use a blend of off-the-grid economic data—from search-engine trends to a real-time GDP figure—to help inform investing hunches.

How companies fix skilled and unskilled labor shortages impacts the health of their bottom lines and share value. On-the-job training needs a new look.

Monitor maturing cloud technology as consolidation dominates a sector occupied by tech powerhouses and as providers look for what’s next in security and data.

The Dow has long been viewed as a proxy for the U.S. market and economy, but investors should be mindful of its limitations.

If you're new to trading futures, keep your eye on three critical reports: Petroleum Status Report, U.S. Treasury Auctions, and USDA Crop Reports. Here's why.

Traders and investors watch for market signals to time their entries and exits. Which government economic reports are the most relevant to the stock market?