Finance

U.S. home construction slipped a bit in May as a sharp drop in single-family construction was only partially offset by a rise in apartment building. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that construction was started at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.27 million homes and apartments, a decline of 0.9% from April when construction starts […]

The Federal Reserve is likely — if not certain — to leave interest rates alone when its latest policy meeting ends Wednesday. But expectations are high that the Fed and its chairman, Jerome Powell, will signal that a rate cut may come soon for the first time in more than a decade. Behind the Fed’s

Amazon’s fleet of jets is getting bigger. The online shopping giant said Tuesday that it will lease 15 more Boeing 737s as it seeks to grow its delivery business and get packages to shoppers’ doorsteps faster. Amazon is in the midst of speeding up its delivery time to one-day from two for its Prime members.

Stocks rose sharply on Wall Street Tuesday as traders cheered news that the leaders of the U.S. and China will meet face-to-face next week to discuss their long-running trade dispute. President Donald Trump said he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an international summit in Japan. Investors are hoping for any positive

Volkswagen, the world’s largest carmaker, said last week that sales in China fell 7 percent from January through May, to about 1.2 million vehicles. Largely because of China, Volkswagen’s global sales fell 5 percent during the same period. “We are experiencing the biggest decline in the world auto market in 20 years,” Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, a

MoneyGram shares doubled at the opening bell after announcing a new partnership with the cryptocurrency company Ripple. The companies said late Monday that the two-year deal will allow MoneyGram to use Ripple’s blockchain service for cheaper cross-border payments. Ripple, based in San Francisco, invested $30 million in MoneyGram as part of the deal, with an

That may be in part because some features, like the required cash deposit, make the cards hard for some people to use. Often, consumers who are approved for the cards can’t cobble together a deposit, the consumer protection bureau reported. Also, the low spending limit may make it difficult for people to use the cards

Facebook and a consortium of 27 partners on Tuesday unveiled Libra, a new cryptocurrency. Their goal? To create a new global money and the foundation for a fresh universe of financial services. That’s a grandiose vision, but what exactly will happen and what will you be able to do with Libra? Here are the basics.

GENEVA, June 18 (Reuters) ― Iran will not wage war against any nation, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, a day after the United States announced the deployment of more troops to the Middle East amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. Fears of a confrontation between Iran and the United States have mounted since

Asian stocks were mixed on Tuesday as caution set in ahead of interest rate decisions by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 eased 0.7% to 20,972.71 while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.4% to 2,098.71. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng picked up 0.9% to 27,481.62. The Shanghai Composite index was 0.1%