Finance

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in more than a decade, an effort to guard the record-long economic expansion against mounting global risks. The widely expected quarter-point move, the Fed’s first since it cut rates to near zero in 2008, is meant to protect the economy against the potentially […]

General Electric Co. swung to a loss during the second quarter of 2019, but its outlook improved as it continued to restructure the company and right its troubled power division. The company, which helps make engines for Boeing’s 737 Max planes, took a hit after the plane was grounded following two deadly crashes. GE lost

Americans juggle a lot of interest rates in their daily lives. They pay interest on car loans, credit card balances and mortgages. They earn interest, at least a little, on the money they save with banks. Technically speaking, Federal Reserve officials will not touch any of those rates when they announce what economists widely expect

When Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico in September 2017, Carlos Melendez couldn’t contact the staffers or customers of his San Juan-based technology firm, Wovenware. Melendez learned a lesson that would help his business during the next storm, that disaster preparedness includes being able to communicate with people when the emergency is over. He quickly signed

(Reuters) ― Back-to-back hurricanes churned in the eastern Pacific on Wednesday towards Hawaii, with one set to lose punch when it reaches the U.S. archipelago state even as its mate gains might. The closest to Hawaii was Hurricane Erick, which swelled from a tropical storm on Monday to a Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday on

The annual wages and benefits for U.S. workers rose in the second quarter at a slightly slower pace than the first, suggesting that the lowest unemployment levels in a half century have not triggering rapid gains in worker compensation. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that pay and benefits for all U.S. workers increased 2.7% in

The Latest on China-U.S. trade talks (all times local): 4:00 p.m. U.S. and Chinese negotiators have ended a new round of talks aimed at ending a tariff war over trade and technology with no word on whether they made any progress. The two days of talks in Shanghai, were the first since Presidents Donald Trump

Those pesky prices If you’re looking for a quiet signal about whether another cut is possible, pay attention to whether policymakers fixate on America’s inflation shortfall in their statement or if Mr. Powell does during his news conference. Officials have increasingly worried about stubbornly weak price gains, and while Mr. Powell has said he expects

U.S. and Chinese envoys met Wednesday for talks aimed at ending a tariff war after President Donald Trump rattled financial markets by accusing Beijing of trying to stall in hopes he will fail to win re-election in 2020. The meeting ended about 40 minutes ahead of schedule. Neither delegation spoke to reporters before U.S. Trade

Asian shares were mostly lower Wednesday as investors looked cautiously ahead to a key policy update from the U.S. Federal Reserve later in the day. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.9% to finish at 21,521.53. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4% to 6,818.40. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.5% to 2,028.85. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.3%