Finance

The Latest on the Hong Kong extradition bill and protests (all times local): 6:15 p.m. A Chinese official has called western criticism of a Hong Kong extradition bill “irresponsible” and says foreign countries have no right to intervene in China’s affairs. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang accused western politicians Friday of blatantly encouraging Hong Kong […]

Asian shares were mixed Friday as investors weighed a variety of factors, including alleged attacks on two tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and lingering worries about trade conflict between the U.S. and China. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 edged up 0.3% to 21,097.21. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.2% to 6,553.40. South Korea’s Kospi lost

The list of counties that added the most manufacturing jobs in 2017 and 2018 highlights that divide. It is led by Harris County, Tex., which includes Houston and factories that supply the oil and gas industry. It also includes Alameda County, Calif., in the Bay Area, and Storey County, Nev., east of Reno, which are

U.S. long-term mortgage rates were little changed this week, after six straight weeks of declines putting them at historically low levels. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage held steady from last week at 3.82 percent, its lowest point since September 2017. By contrast, a year ago the

Cities with fewer than 200,000 residents grew faster than larger metropolises between 2017 and 2018 as high housing prices chased many people away from big cities and their closest suburbs. The biggest cities grew by a collective 326,000 people, less than half the number earlier in the decade, and less than the number for smaller

U.S. stocks edged higher in midday trading Thursday on Wall Street as a rise in oil prices boosted energy companies following a suspected attack on two oil tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. U.S. oil rose 2.1% and Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained 2.5%. The gains come at a time when oil prices

The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local): 9:35 a.m. Stocks are rising early Thursday as a jump in the price of oil boosts energy companies. U.S. oil rose 3.3% after two oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz were damaged in suspected attacks. Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained 3.6%. Oil

The 10-year anniversary of the end of the Great Recession is approaching. A decade after the housing bust, the economy is robust and the unemployment rate is at a 49-year-low. But not all Americans have recovered. According to a new survey from Bankrate, 23% of Americans who were adults when the recession started in December

DUBAI, June 13 (Reuters) – Two tankers were hit in suspected attacks in the Gulf of Oman and the crew has been evacuated, shipping sources said on Thursday, a month after a similar incident in which four tankers in the region were struck. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, part of the Royal Navy, earlier

Asian stocks were mostly lower on Thursday as activists in Hong Kong vowed to keep protesting an extradition bill they fear would whittle the Chinese territory’s legal autonomy. The protests threaten to shake confidence in the hub for many regional and international businesses and investors. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.8% to 27,103.02, extending