Strong U.S. Job Gains Boost Case for Rate Hike

U.S. employers added 271,000 jobs in October, the largest gain this year and a sign of economic growth that may position the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next month.The unemployment rate dipped to a seven-year low of 5% and wages rose at the fastest pace since 2009, the Labor Departmen...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Nov. 6, 2015

Service Industries Offset Manufacturing Slump

While manufacturers remain bogged down by sluggish overseas demand, service industries expanded in October at the second-fastest pace in a decade.The Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing index advanced to 59.1 from 56.9 the prior month, the Tempe, Arizona-based group said Wednesday...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Nov. 4, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

Tax policy shifts: What CFOs need to know to stay ahead

Discover how evolving tax policies are creating new opportunities and challenges for CFOs.

By CFO.com staff

Construction Spending Rises to 7-Year High

U.S. construction spending rose 0.6% in September to $1.09 trillion, its highest level since March 2008, fueled by a surge in apartment building.Construction of apartments and condominiums jumped 4.9% in September from August, while construction of single-family homes rose 1.3%, the Commerce Depa...

By Matthew Heller • Nov. 2, 2015

Consumer Spending up Only 1% in September

Weak U.S. economic data released Friday may have reduced the possibility of an interest-rate hike next month.According to the Commerce Department, consumer spending rose just 0.1% in September, the slowest pace since January. The median forecast of 75 economists in a Bloomberg survey called for a...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 30, 2015

New Home Sales Fall 11.5% in September

Part of the housing sector hit a speed bump in September, with sales of new single-family homes falling sharply to a near one-year low.The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of newly built homes dropped to a seasonally adjusted rate of 468,000 last month, down 11.5% from August’s down...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 26, 2015

A Turn for the Worse

U.S. finance executives continue to be frustrated by government actions affecting their costs, leery of the ups and downs in equities markets, and nervous about economic conditions overseas, especially in China. This combination appears finally to be taking its toll on business confidence, accord...

By David W. Owens • Oct. 23, 2015

Kabbage to Offer Online Loans With Dutch Bank

Online lending platform Kabbage is teaming up with Dutch bank ING Groep NV to offer automated loans to small businesses throughout Spain and possibly elsewhere in Europe.ING is the first global bank to partner with Kabbage, which provides loans of as much as $150,000 to pay for inventory, hire st...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 22, 2015

China’s Growth Rate Slows to 6.9% in Q3

China’s economic growth is continuing to slow, increasing pressure on the government to further cut interest rates and enact even more stimulus measures.The National Bureau of Statistics of China said Monday that the country’s economy grew 6.9% percent between July and September from a year ago, ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 19, 2015

Consumer Sentiment Rebounds in October

A closely watched measure of consumer sentiment rose more than expected in early October, suggesting volatility in financial markets has done little to dampen optimism about the U.S. economy.The University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment index for this month rose to 92.1, the first a...

By Matthew Heller • Oct. 19, 2015

U.S. Budget Deficit at Lowest Level Since 2009

The federal budget deficit has fallen to its lowest level since 2009 on increased tax receipts due to a strengthening economy.The deficit was $439 billion in the 2015 fiscal year, $44 billion less than last year, the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget said Friday. The sho...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 16, 2015

Retail, Food Sales up Only 0.1% Last Month

Consumers may have saved on lower fuel costs in September, but they pocketed the money instead of spending it.U.S. retail and food services sales for September rose just 0.1% from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The median forecast of 82 economists surveyed by Bloomber...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 14, 2015

U.S. Oil Output To Decline in 2016, OPEC Says

OPEC’s strategy of pumping oil at high levels to squeeze out U.S. production is apparently working as the 12-nation producer group is forecasting that U.S. oil output will decline in 2016 for the first time in eight years.In its monthly October report released Monday, OPEC predicted that U.S. oil...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 12, 2015

Fed Official Sees Rate Hike This Year as ‘Appropriate’

Recent economic data “give rise to some ambiguity,” but it may still be “appropriate” for the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by the end of this year, a top Fed official said in a  speech Friday.Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart compared the speculation about the timing of a rate...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 9, 2015

Criteo and the Cost per Click

“You should never forget that we are a tech company,” insists Benoît Fouilland, the CFO of Criteo, an online advertising company that tries to help its clients get clicks from potential customers.Benoît Fouilland True, he acknowledges, the Paris-based firm’s business is digital “performance marke...

By David Katz • Oct. 2, 2015

U.S. Adds Only 142,000 Jobs in September

The U.S. economy added only 142,000 jobs in September, well below experts’ predictions and possibly pushing an interest-rate hike into next year.Economists surveyed by CNN had forecast a gain of 204,000 jobs. In a report released Friday, the Labor Department also revised down the number of jobs c...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Oct. 2, 2015

U.S. Private Sector Shows Solid Job Growth

The U.S. private sector added 200,000 jobs in September, slightly above consensus expectations and broadly in line with recent trends, according to payroll processor ADP.In its September employment report, ADP said Wednesday that the largest companies fueled most of the growth, adding 109,000 job...

By Matthew Heller • Sept. 30, 2015

WTO Slashes 2015 Growth Forecast to 2.8%

The World Trade Organization has forecast world trade will grow 2.8% this year, a downward revision that reflects declining import demand in China, Brazil, and other emerging economies and falling commodities prices.If the WTO’s latest forecast is realized, 2015 will mark the fourth consecutive y...

By Matthew Heller • Sept. 30, 2015

Second-Quarter GDP Revised Upward to 3.9%

The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 3.9% in the second quarter, rebounding from a sluggish first quarter amid increased consumer and construction spending.The Commerce Department’s GDP estimate, released Friday, was an upward revision from the 3.7% reported last month. Analysts polled ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 25, 2015

2015 Retail Holiday Sales to Increase Moderately

Retail holiday sales this year should increase moderately, but the growth will be slower than the year before due to the “lingering effects” of stagnant wages, according to Deloitte.In its annual sales forecast released Wednesday, Deloitte said total holiday sales are expected to climb to between...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 23, 2015

Class Action Filings, Market Cap Losses Stay Low

Filings of federal class-action securities lawsuits fell 8% in the first half of 2015, while alleged market capitalization losses remained at historically low levels, according to a recent report.The number of new filings totaled 85, seven fewer than in the last six months of 2014 and 10% below t...

By Matthew Heller • Sept. 21, 2015

U.S. Home Resales Fall 4.8% in August

Following three straight months of gains, existing-home sales dipped in August despite slowing price growth and a positive turnaround in the share of sales to first–time buyers, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.Total existing–home sales fell 4.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual ra...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 21, 2015

Consumer Prices Signal Disinflation Trend

As a critical U.S. Federal Reserve meeting got underway, the Labor Department reported Wednesday that consumer prices fell unexpectedly in August, possibly complicating the central bank’s decision whether to raise interest rates.The Consumer Price Index slipped 0.1% as gasoline prices resumed the...

By Matthew Heller • Sept. 16, 2015

Wearable Device Market to Double This Year

The worldwide market for wearable devices will more than double this year, with consumer demand in particular being fueled by smart watches and bands, according to a new survey from IDC.The research firm predicts in its latest Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker that wearable device shipm...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 14, 2015

Taxi Cab Lenders Lose Suit Over Ride-Sharing

Four credit unions that provide financing to New York City’s iconic yellow cabs have lost a legal challenge to city regulations that allow ride-sharing services such as Uber to pick up passengers who “hail” them.The unions argued that medallions issued by the city give taxi drivers the exclusive ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 11, 2015

U.S. Producers to ‘Bear Brunt’ of Oil Price Rout

Non-OPEC oil supply will shrink next year by nearly 500,000 barrels a day — the biggest decline in more than two decades — with U.S. producers “bearing the brunt” of the oil price rout, the International Energy Agency said Friday.U.S. crude prices have rebounded since crashing last month to less ...

By Katie Kuehner-Hebert • Sept. 11, 2015