Yahoo! News: Economy News

Economy News

• Exiting watchdog sees flaws in SEC's rulewriting (Reuters)

  Reuters - In his final act before departing the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, the agency's inspector general, David Kotz, criticized how the agency analyzes the economic impact of some of its Dodd-Frank rules.

• Hotel industry looks for deal pace to pick up (Reuters)

  Reuters - Hotel companies and real estate firms are optimistic that deal transactions will pick up this year despite concerns about Europe's economy and challenges in obtaining debt financing.

• Fitch warns Washington state over budget gap (Reuters)

  Reuters - On the heels of a warning on Friday by Fitch Ratings that it could lower its rating on Washington state's general obligation bonds, a top lawmaker said talks on balancing the state budget would gain momentum after a key forecast next month.

• Some G20 countries soften stance on Europe: sources (Reuters)

  Reuters - Some of the world's biggest economies want to move quickly on a cash injection for the International Monetary Fund to help rescue the euro zone, but hardliners may still scupper an early deal to boost the fund's war chest, G20 sources said on Friday.

• Houseboat industry eyes new venture for comeback (AP)

  AP - Kentucky's houseboat manufacturers once thrived by churning out luxurious floating residences, but the industry was nearly capsized by the economic downturn. Now it's dabbling in a new venture as it looks for a different course — the construction of moderately priced, energy efficient landlocked homes.

• American economy not healthy yet, but it's healing (AP)

  AP - The American economy may not be truly healthy yet, but it's healing.

  
  

• Vanishing inflation bolsters case for Fed easing (Reuters)

  Reuters - It has only been a few days since the Federal Reserve adopted a formal goal for inflation, and already policymakers are missing their target.

• Quarterly GDP changes in past 4 years, at a glance (AP)

  AP - Quarterly GDP changes in past 4 years, at a glance

• After 70 years, right-to-work impact still unclear (AP)

  AP - The battle over the right-to-work issue may be reaching a conclusion in Indiana as the state prepares to adopt its law, but the argument over exactly what the measure means for a state's economy is likely to rage on, unresolved, as it has for 70 years.

• Business Highlights (AP)

  AP - Economy grew 2.8 percent in Q4, but outlook is hazy

• Growth quickens, but speed bumps ahead (Reuters)

  Reuters - The economy grew at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, but a rebuilding of stocks by businesses and slower business spending warned of weaker growth in early 2012.

  
  

• A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)

  AP - A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday:

• Economic growth for the past 4 years, at a glance (AP)

  AP - Economic growth for the past 4 years, at a glance

• Occupy protesters barred from camping in DC squares (Reuters)

  Reuters - The National Park Service will bar Occupy DC protesters from camping in the two parks where have been living since October, in a blow to one of the highest-profile chapters of the movement denouncing economic inequality.

• Fitch downgrades 5 eurozone nations (AP)

  AP - Fitch Ratings downgraded the debt of Italy, Spain and three other countries that use the euro on Friday, a possible setback as European leaders work to contain the continent's debt crisis.

• Euro rises to 6-week high against dollar (AP)

  AP - The euro jumped to a six-week high against the dollar after a European official said that Greece is close to reaching a deal with creditors to lower its debt.

• Reuters Magazine: Chrystia Freeland: The one percent war (Reuters)

  Reuters - When Anders Aslund, a Swedish economist who has studied and advised most of the leaders in the former Soviet Union, visited Kiev in late 2004, at the height of the Orange Revolution, he returned to his office in Washington, D.C., with a surprising observation.

• Geithner presses Europe to increase crisis firewall (Reuters)

  Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pressed Europe on Friday to boost its bailout fund resources, citing the euro zone debt crisis and oil prices as the two main factors influencing the pace of the United States' economic upturn.

  
  

• Gov. pitching Conn. to business leaders in Davos (AP)

  AP - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says he's pitching Connecticut as a good place to do business at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

• Japan prices fall, mild deflation to persist (Reuters)

  Reuters - Japan's core consumer prices fell for the third consecutive month in the year to December, and mild deflation is expected to persist this year as energy prices stabilize and worries about Europe's debt crisis suppress wage growth and economic activity.