Greg Ip, former Wall Street Journal Federal Reserve reporter, is leaving the WSJ to become U.S. economics editor for The Economist. His new responsibilities at The Economist will include writing and reporting on the U.S. economy and economic policy, as well as covering the Federal Reserve. He will likely begin his new job in late [...]
U.S. consumer products manufacutures grew 10.6 percent this past year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who conducts research on behalf of the Grocery Manufacturers Association. “The Food, Beverage and Consumer Products Industry: Achieving Superior Financial Performance in a Challenging Economy 2008,” report “stated that even in a difficult economy with ever-increasing commodities prices, agile [...]
Online magazine Slate.com suggests four reasons why. One of them is Wal-Mart’s strong growth internationally, as economic growth through much of the world continues unabated. International sales comprised 16.7 percent of overall revenues in 2003. In the 12 months that ending in January, that number had grown to 24.2 percent. And in the most recent quarter, internationl [...]
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported an increase in consumer spending of just 0.2 percent in December — flat when adjusted for inflation. Consumer prices in December, by contrast, were 3.5 percent higher than a year ago, well above the Fed’s designated “comfort zone” of 1 to 2 percent. Opinions vary on just how bad the news [...]