Finance

Consumer confidence dipped slightly in August after a big rebound in July. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index edged down to 135.1 in August, slightly below a July reading of 135.8, which had been the highest since November. Economists had been looking for a bigger drop in […]

A Russian aircraft leasing company that ordered 35 Boeing Max jets is suing the U.S. aircraft maker and seeking to cancel the deal, accusing Boeing of hiding defects in the plane that was grounded after two deadly crashes. The Miami-based lawyer for the leasing company said Tuesday it is the first lawsuit filed against Boeing

NEW DELHI — Arun Jaitley, who as finance minister of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi oversaw some of the country’s boldest economic experiments and earned respect and trust across a fractured political landscape, died here on Saturday. He was 66. The All India Institute of Medical Science announced his death there in a brief

President Donald Trump, who last week suggested Fed Chairman Jerome Powell could be an enemy, is now saying that the central bank “loves” the troubles that U.S. manufacturers are facing. The president’s tweet Tuesday appears to be his latest effort pressure the central bank to lower interest rates more quickly. But a former top Fed

U.S. stock indexes veered lower in midday trading Tuesday, giving up early gains, as investors shifted money into government bonds and other less risky assets. Financial stocks fell the most as bond prices surged, pulling yields sharply lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.48% from 1.54% late Monday. That yield is

Altria confirmed Tuesday that it is in talks to merge with Philip Morris International more than a decade after splitting itself into two companies. Altria has exclusively sold Marlboro and other cigarette brands in the U.S., while Philip Morris has handled international sales. Both companies have been investing in alternatives to traditional cigarettes amid declining

Recent signs that a recession is coming have had Americans panicking. President Donald Trump recently stated that a recession will only occur if voters fail to reelect him in 2020, but about one-third of economists agree that the dreaded “R” word is on the horizon no matter what — and likely to arrive by the

Asian shares rose Tuesday as investors found reason to be cautiously optimistic again about the potential for progress in the costly trade war between the U.S. and China. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.1% in afternoon trading to 20,491.03. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6% to 6,481.60, while South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.7% to 1,930.54. Hong

Every time the economy trembles, the president and White House staff face a quandary. On one hand, they wish to instill confidence and project optimism. No president wants to talk down the economy, and a pessimistic tone from the highest office of the land could be self-fulfilling. On the other hand, they need to be

LONDON — As President Trump intermittently escalates and moderates his trade war with China, his conflicting signals reflect a reality that limits his actions: He can try to sever the deeply intertwined American commercial relationship with China, or he can prod economic growth to assuage the fears of investors around the planet. But he cannot