Stocks and Economy

Private-sector employers added 192,000 jobs in January, more than economists were expecting, in a sign of growth in the labor market, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the ADP National Employment Report would show a gain of 165,000 jobs.

Private-sector employers added 192,000 jobs in January, more than economists were expecting, in a sign of growth in the labor market, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the ADP National Employment Report would show a gain of 165,000 jobs.

Stocks are approaching record levels after a January rally that has pushed the Dow 6.5 percent higher this month and the S&P 500 up 5.7 percent, to its highest level since December 2007.

The sluggish U.S. economy could get a lift if President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators succeed in what could be the biggest overhaul of the nation's immigration system since the 1980s.

Consumer confidence dropped in January to its lowest level in more than a year as Americans were more pessimistic about the economic outlook and their financial prospects, according to a private sector report released on Tuesday.

After four years of government prodding — from federal stimulus spending to the Fed’s historic easy-money policies — the U.S. economy finally is showing signs of sustainable growth. But it’s not out of the woods yet.

The story of Detroit's decline is decades old. But unlike the Big Three automakers, the city's chances of getting a federal bailout to save it from bankruptcy are almost nonexistent.

The S&P 500 eased slightly on Monday after an eight-day run of gains, its longest winning streak in eight years, while the Nasdaq edged higher as Apple shares rebounded.

A quarterly survey of business economists shows half of them now expect the economy to grow between 2 and 4 percent in 2013, up from 36 percent three months earlier.

The Commerce Department said on Monday that non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for investment plans, edged higher 0.2 percent. The government also revised higher its estimate for November.

24/7 Wall St. has completed its second annual ranking of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., based on local economies, fiscal management and quality of life measures.

U.S. stocks have been on a tear in January, moving major indexes within striking distance of all-time highs.

"Our goal here was to shine a light on Herbalife," Pershing Square founder Ackman said on "Fast Money," referring to the company which he called "a well-managed pyramid scheme." Ackman has accused Herbalife of luring people, most of them low-income, into a distribution system he calls fraudulent.

Next time you hear someone in Washington come up with a long-term plan to balance the federal budget, take it with a Capitol Building-sized grain of salt.

The S&P 500 index on Friday closed above the 1,500 level for the first time in more than five years as strong U.S. earnings reports from Procter & Gamble and others helped the benchmark extend its rally to eight days. 

Stocks rose on Friday, buoyed by sturdy corporate earnings from Procter & Gamble and Honeywell, with the S&P 500 poised for its longest winning streak in more than eight years.