The Commerce Department

New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods fell more than expected in August to post their largest decline in a year as bookings for aircraft and motor vehicles tumbled, but business spending rebounded strongly, a government report showed on Friday. The Commerce Department said durable...

Housing starts increased more than expected in August to their highest level in four months and permits for future home construction rose, government data showed on Tuesday, suggesting the embattled housing market was starting to stabilize following the end of a tax credit. The Commerce Department...

New orders for U.S. factory products fell more than expected in May a government report showed Friday. The Commerce Department said factory orders fell 1.4 percent in May, the steepest drop since March of last year. Analysts were expecting a drop of 0.5 percent. This marked the first decline in...

The Commerce Department said spending rose 0.2 percent in May after being flat in April. Analysts were looking for consumer spending to rise by 0.1 percent. With consumer spending accounting for roughly 70 percent of U.S. GDP, investors are closely watching any data figures tied to the consumer. On...

The consumer recovery may indeed be an illusion. Retail sales plunged in May by the largest amount in eight months. Consumers cut back on everything from cars to clothing. With consumers accounting for roughly 70 percent of GDP, this data raises worries about the sustainability of the economic...

U.S. housing starts reached a one and a half year high in April, which is a positive sign for the troubled U.S. housing market. It is not all good news, though, with permits dropping to a six-month low. This would suggest that the housing market recovery will remain slow. Housing starts rose 5.8...

April’s retail sales upped 0.4% for the seventh consecutive month, as reported by the Commerce Department today. The gain was better than the expectations of 0.2%, but far below the 2.1% jump in March. Sales in April have risen owing to increased consumer spending, which in turn resulted from...

The economy grew at a slower pace than economists expected according to government data released Friday. The Commerce Department said its final reading for Gross Domestic Product in the fourth quarter was 5.6%, lower than the 5.9% pace that was estimated in February. In the third quarter GDP...