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Business news in the United States this week
This week’s top business news stories in the United States include the announcement of a major acquisition by a leading tech company, an update on the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China, and new data on the housing market.
The economy
This week in business news, the biggest stories revolved around the economy.
The first story is that the federal reserve decided to leave interest rates unchanged. This news comes as a surprise to many, as there had been talk of a possible rate hike in the near future. The reason for the fed’s decision is that they want to see more data on the health of the economy before making a move.
The second story is that retail sales in the United States rose in September. This is good news for the economy, as it indicates that consumers are spending money. The retail sales numbers are a positive sign for the holiday shopping season.
Finally, there was news this week that exports from the United States hit a record high in August. This is good news for the economy, as it indicates that American companies are selling products overseas.
The stock market
The stock market is a collection of markets where stocks (pieces of ownership in businesses) are traded between investors. It usually refers to the exchanges where stocks and other securities are bought and sold. The stock market can be used to measure the performance of a whole economy, or particular sectors of it.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is the most widely quoted stock market index in the US. It comprises 30 big US companies such as Walmart, Coca-Cola and IBM, and is seen as a leading indicator of how the US economy is performing. When the DJIA falls, it’s often because investors are worried about the future and are selling stocks in order to avoid loses. When it rises, they’re generally more optimistic.
The S&P 500 index is another popular US stock market index, made up of 500 different stocks. Again, it’s seen as a good measure of how the US economy is doing overall.
The Nasdaq Composite index includes all the stocks traded on the Nasdaq exchange, which is known for being home to many tech companies. So this index can be used as a way of measuring how well the tech sector is doing.
In general, when people talk about “the stock market” without specifying which one, they’re usually referring to any or all of these three indexes.
The job market
The job market in the United States has been steadily improving in recent months, with the unemployment rate falling to a five-year low of 7 percent in November.
Despite the encouraging trend, many Americans remain struggling to find work. Some have simply given up looking, while others are working part-time but would prefer full-time positions.
In addition, many of the jobs that are being created are not high-paying jobs, which means that many Americans are working but still not earning enough to make ends meet.
The situation is particularly difficult for young people, who are just starting out in their careers and may have a hard time finding a job that matches their skills and qualifications.
The good news is that the job market is expected to continue to improve in 2014, with the unemployment rate falling to around 6.5 percent by the end of the year.
Top stories
From the Dow’s milestone to Tesla’s Model 3 production issues, here are the top stories of the week.
The top story of the week
The top story of the week is the economy. The United States economy is doing well, but there are concerns that it may not be able to sustain its current growth rate. The stock market is still volatile, and interest rates are rising. There are also concerns about trade wars and the potential for a recession.
The second-top story of the week
The second-top story of the week was the announcement by Toys “R” Us that it would be closing all of its stores in the United States. This is a massive blow to the toy industry, as Toys “R” Us was one of the largest toy retailers in the country. Many toy manufacturers say that they are cutting back on production because of this news. This story is sure to have a ripple effect throughout the retail industry.
The third-top story of the week
The third top story of the week is that Facebook has started to test a new feature that will allow users to order food directly from restaurants through the Facebook app. This new feature is currently being tested in select markets, and it is not clear when or if it will be rolled out more broadly.
The story was reported by Business Insider, which notes that Facebook has been working on this feature for some time. According to the report, Facebook has been in talks with a number of different food ordering and delivery companies, including DoorDash, UberEats, and Delivery.com.
The testing of this new feature comes as Facebook continues to expand its offerings beyond just social networking. In recent years, the company has added features like Marketplace, where users can buy and sell items; a job-listings section; and even a dating service.
Other stories
Here are some other stories making headlines this week.
The fourth-top story of the week
According to Business News USA, the fourth-top story of the week is that Amazon is planning to open 3,000 new grocery stores. The move would put Amazon in competition with grocery giants like Walmart and Kroger.
The fifth-top story of the week
The CEO of Papa John’s has resigned after using a racial slur during a conference call. The pizza chain’s stock fell sharply after the news was announced.
The sixth-top story of the week
Overall, the news this week was quite positive, with strong economic indicators and robust corporate earnings reports. However, there were a few stories that stood out as particularly noteworthy.
Here are the top six business stories from the past week:
1. The U.S. economy added a strong 250,000 jobs in October, easily beating expectations and indicating that the labor market remains healthy. Unemployment held steady at 3.7 percent, near a 49-year low.
2. Stocks surged on Friday after a report showed that retail sales jumped 1.6 percent in September, indicating that consumers are still confident and spending despite concerns about tariffs and the overall economy.
3. Amazon reported blowout quarterly results on Thursday, with sales and profit topping analysts’ expectations once again. The e-commerce giant also said it would raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all employees in the U.S., effective November 1st.
4. Apple announced several new products at its event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, including a redesigned iPad Pro, a new MacBook Air, and a new Mac mini. The company also unveiled its long-awaited update to the iPhone X, the iPhone XS, as well as the larger iPhone XS Max and the more affordable iPhone XR.
5. Tesla reported quarterly results on Wednesday that fell short of Wall Street’s expectations on both revenue and profit. However, shares rose in after-hours trading as the electric car maker said it was on track to meet its production goals for its key Model 3 sedan.
6. General Motors announced plans to close several factories and lay off thousands of workers in North America on Monday, as it looks to cut costs amid slowing sales of cars and trucks in key markets like China and the United States.