Stocks tick higher on Wall Street as inflation report looms

January 11, 2023

NEW YORK — Stocks ticked higher in quiet trading on Wall Street Tuesday, ahead of some potentially market-moving reports scheduled for later in the week. The S&P 500 rose 27.16 points, or 0.7 percent, to 3,919.25 after drifting between small gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 186.45, or 0.6 percent, to 33,704.10, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 106.98, or 1 percent, to 10,742.63. The stock market has had a positive start to 2023 due to hopes that cooling inflation and a slowing economy may convince the Federal Reserve to ease off its ...

Stocks end up mixed on Wall Street after early gains fade

January 10, 2023

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks were mixed Monday at the start of a week with a few events that could shake markets, including updates on inflation and the health of corporate profits. The S&P 500 dipped 0.1 percent after surrendering an early gain of 1.4 percent in its first trading after closing ...

Travelers rush to take advantage of China reopening

January 9, 2023

BEIJING — After years of separation from his wife in mainland China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure to be among the first in line following the reopening Sunday of border crossing points. The ability of residents of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city to cross over is one of the most visible signs of China’s easing of border restrictions imposed almost three years ago, with travelers arriving from abroad no longer required to undergo expensive and time-consuming quarantines. That comes even as the virus continues to spread in China amid what critics say is a ...

US approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease

January 7, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials on Friday approved a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug that’s been shown to modestly slow the early stages of the brain-robbing disease, albeit with potential safety risks that doctors and patients will have to carefully weigh. The drug, Leqembi, is ...

FTC proposes rule that would ban employee noncompete clauses

January 6, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule Thursday that would ban U.S. employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers, a sweeping measure that could make it easier for people to switch jobs and deepen competition for labor across a wide range of industries. The proposed rule would ...

Supply chain woes caused US auto sales to fall 8 percent last year

January 5, 2023

DETROIT — Shortages of computer chips and other parts continued to hobble the U.S. auto industry last year, contributing to vehicle sales dropping 8 percent from 2021 to their lowest level in more than a decade. But there’s good news for consumers in the gloomy numbers: Vehicle supplies ...