Investors.com

Single-Family Home Starts Stall As Fed Mulls Shift

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:11:00 GMT

Construction on single-family homes is flattening out as central bankers prepare the next clue on when they will start slowing the pace of stimulus. A recovering housing market is one of the Federal Reserve's goals for its quantitative easing program. While prices are climbing, fears that QE will soon be scaled back have lifted mortgage rates sharply, making homes even costlier. May housing starts reached an annualized pace of 914,000

Will Emerging Markets Selloff Delay Fed's QE Exit?

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:20:00 GMT

The sharp selloff in emerging markets offers a preview of what could happen when Federal Reserve policymakers eventually taper monetary stimulus. While no major decisions are expected after the Fed wraps up its meeting Wednesday, investors worldwide will see if Chairman Ben Bernanke walks back a May 22 remark that bond purchases could be scaled back "in the next few meetings" if the labor market keeps improving. That statement is

Health Benefits Come Under Knife Ahead Of ObamaCare

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:05:00 GMT

Spending on health benefits in service occupations and among small firms exposed to ObamaCare mandates shrank over the past year, new Labor Department data show. Although employers face penalties in 2014 if they fail to offer affordable coverage, this decline in spending on health benefits shows that they're finding ways to shift some of ObamaCare's looming costs back to the government. Strikingly, Bureau of Labor Statistics data

Retail Sales Up As Rate Hike Fear Fuels Auto Sales

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:17:00 GMT

Surging auto demand, which may be getting a lift from the prospect of higher borrowing costs, kept retail sales resilient amid tax hikes and budget cuts. Retailers sold 0.6% more in May vs. the prior month, topping forecasts for a 0.5% bump, as auto sales climbed 1.8%, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Excluding autos, retail sales rose 0.3%, missing estimates. Just as the recent spike in mortgage rates is inducing people to buy