U.S. Economy

No, China Won't Be the New Top Dog But it will learn from its mistakes dealing with the coronavirus. Watch and learn how Beijing makes improvements.

Three stocks to buy during the coronavirus crash — besides the usual suspects Michael Kagan of ClearBridge Investments outlines quality retail, medical and packaging companiesMichael Kagan of ClearBridge Investments outlines quality retail, medical and packaging companies.

Stocks finish lower, thwarting second day of gains as coronavirus spread appears to slow, more stimulus eyed Biggest blown session gains for S&P 500, Dow since Oct. 2008U.S stocks finished lower Tuesday, a sharp U-turn from the morning’s highs, despite growing signs that the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic may be leveling off in parts of the world.

Is the Dow staging a genuine rebound? Here’s what experts think as the stock market attempts to shake the bearish grip of the coronavirus pandemic Investors are seeing light at the end of the tunnel after a brutal period. But is it a train? Here’s what some strategists are saying about the outlook for the market as it tries to recover from COVID-19.

Goldman analyst who predicted the coronavirus would kill the bull market says ‘risk to the downside is greater’ despite Dow’s recent rally ‘There’s a little bit of asymmetry in terms of the downside risk towards a level in the S&P 500 of around 2,000,’ says David KostinDavid Kostin says two solid days of gains for the stock market don’t necessarily signify an all -clear sign for bullish investors looking for a path higher for a coronavirus-stricken market.

Dow stages a nearly 1,000-point U-turn Tuesday to end barely lower in choppy, coronavirus-tinged tradeU.S. stocks finished a volatile session in negative territory, as investors failed to nudge equity benchmarks to a second straight gain. Stocks had been rising throughout the session amid continued signs of the slowing spread of COVID-19 across the globe but upward momentum ultimately evaporated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down about 26 points, or 0.1%, at 22,654, but had been up by as many as 937 points at 23,617; the S&P 500 index finished down 4 points, or 0.2%, at 2,659, but had been up 93.21 points the peak on Tuesday and the Nasdaq Composite Index ended the session down 26 points, or 0.3%, at 7,887, but had been 2.9% higher at Tuesday's apex. Markets are wrestling with the outlook for the economy and wondering how earnings and the economy that might be impacted when the virus fades. Earlier in the session, markets were upbeat after New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said midday Tuesday, at a news conference, that daily hospitalizations were plateauing in the state, even as he noted that the more-volatile pace of deaths higher. So far, nearly 5,500 people have died from the virus in the state. Meanwhile, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that manufacturing, trade and business investment are likely to drag on growth after the pandemic subsides. Kaplan described the potential impact from consumer trends, due to closures and petering personal activity to limit the contagion as "somewhat of a body blow."

CDC Reports 43,438 New U.S. Covid-19 Cases and 3,154 Deaths Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak to navigate the markets today.

Vodka, saunas and lockdown resistance: These countries are taking a different approach to the coronavirus pandemicThe majority of countries around the world have enforced strict lockdown measures in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus but some have taken different paths in the face of the pandemic.

The CEO who built Cisco into a powerhouse has a sobering coronavirus diagnosis: At least nine months of economic pain The legendary tech executive-turned-venture capitalist predicts the health and economic crisis will take three to five quarters to run its course, and any economic uptick won’t occur until at least late fall. A full recovery would likely happen until early 2021, Chambers warned.

Coronavirus aid program for small businesses looks set to get more money this week Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asks Congress for an additional $250 billion and sees OKs from House and Senate by end of the weekTop U.S. lawmakers say Tuesday that they’re working across party lines to set aside additional coronavirus aid for small businesses this week, after high demand for the new Paycheck Protection Program created in Washington’s response to the pandemic.

U.S. consumer credit increased at faster pace in FebruaryConsumer borrowing accelerated in February before the coronavirus spread across the country, according to Federal Reserve data released Tuesday. Total consumer credit increased $22.3 billion. That's an annual growth rate of 6.4%, up from a 3.5% rate in the prior month. Economists has been expecting a $14.2 billion gain, according to Econoday. Revolving credit, like credit cards, rose 4.6% in February after a rare 2.7% decline in the prior month. Nonrevolving credit, typically auto and student loans, rose 7% after a 5.6% rate in the prior month. The data does not include mortgage loans. Economists will be watching spending data closing in coming months. The government is trying to replace income lost by workers and business after the country shut down in mid-March.

Are stock-market investors foolish to expect a quick economic rebound from the coronavirus? It’s still too foggy to see the other side of this massive contractionWe know that human determination and creativity will prevail over the coronavirus. But at what cost? It’s too early to know.

It looks like stimulus, and acts like stimulus — but some Republicans are reluctant to use the term After the financial crisis, GOP was successful in making ‘stimulus’ a dirty wordSome Republicans are going out of their way to avoid using the word ‘stimulus’ to describe the government aid designed to the soften the blow of the coronavirus.

White House press secretary who held zero briefings steps down, replaced by Trump campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham will step down as press secretary, and is expected to become the first lady’s chief of staffWhite House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is leaving her post after never holding a single formal press briefing.

Gold ends lower after topping $1,700 to tap highest intraday level since late 2012 Silver prices post a gain of 2% TuesdayGold futures settle lower on Tuesday, giving up earlier gains that saw prices top $1,700 an ounce to reach their highest intraday level since late 2012.

Coronavirus crisis will leave 3 lasting scars, even if the economy recovers in fourth quarter, Pimco warnsThe U.S. economy is in the midst of one of the deepest, most painful recessions the country has ever seen, but, as long as the pieces fall into place, it could also prove to be one of the shortest, according Pimco’s Joachim Fels.

Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary: Biden has big polling lead over Sanders as voters cast their ballots ‘Barring some sort of massive new development, Biden remains on track to be the Democratic nominee,’ analyst saysAs voters in Wisconsin cast their ballots on Tuesday in their state’s Democratic presidential primary, Joe Biden has a big lead over rival Bernie Sanders in polls of the Badger State’s voters.

Why the coronavirus will harden our political views, not change them The pandemic is turning all countries into exaggerated versions of their previous selvesNo one should expect the pandemic to alter — much less reverse — tendencies that were evident before the crisis.

The coronavirus will crush rural hospitals — here’s how states could save them Bipartisan legislation aims to help critical-access hospitals by allowing them to sidestep a burdensome regulatory hurdleBipartisan legislation aims to help critical-access hospitals by allowing them to sidestep a burdensome regulatory hurdle.

Digital Advertising Rates Are Down by 30%, IAC Says Not only are there fewer digital ads, the remaining ones are generating less revenue. IAC CEO Joey Levin laid out the problem in a letter to investors on Monday.

Coronavirus small-business aid program could ultimately need $1.8 trillion in funding, analyst says More than half of American small businesses cannot survive three months without revenue, while 21% cannot survive a monthSmall businesses across America have flocked to their local banks to apply for forgivable loans backed by the Small Business Administration since the program launched last Friday, with some expressing concern that if they didn’t get their applications in quickly funding would run out.

Why coronavirus could devastate charities even more than the Great Recession did Economic damage from COVID-19 will cause people to forego donationsEconomic damage from COVID-19 will cause people to forego donations.

Bond yields set to fall further once investors come to terms with ‘sobering’ economic reality, says BofA Global Yields are going to be “lower for a lot longer,” says BofA’s ZhangEven as the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of slowing down in the U.S. and Europe, one analyst says the tentative optimism driving the stock-market bounce and the rise in yields for government paper is unlikely to last

Trump looking at reopening parts of the country unscathed by coronavirus, Mnuchin says White House adviser Kudlow suggests economy could be open in next four-to-eight weeksTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in Tuesday said President Donald Trump is talking to his advisors about ways to reopen ‘parts of the country.’

A record number of Americans are losing their jobs — but Amazon, Walmart, Ace Hardware and others are hiring to fill 479,000 openings amid coronavirus demand Jobless claims jumped to 6.6 million two weeks ago, but several sectors are ramping up hiringJobless claims jumped to 6.6 million two weeks ago, but several sectors are ramping up hiring.

Banks Are Lending to Companies at the Fastest Rate Ever The growth in commercial and industrial loans at U.S. commercial banks is spiking. The same can’t be said for consumer credit.

Police find body of Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean as search continues for her 8-year-old son Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean, Robert F. Kennedy’s granddaughter, and her 8-year-old son were lost boating on Chesapeake Bay last weekThe body of the daughter of former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was located in about 25 feet of water and recovered, authorities said Monday, and they will keep searching for her son, after the two went missing following a canoeing accident last week.

Before the coronavirus struck, U.S. job openings stood at nearly 7 million COVID-19 triggers mass layoffs, nationwide hiring freezeJob openings in the U.S. fell slightly to 6.89 million in February just a month before the coronavirus upended the economy and all but certainly ended the longest expansion in American history.

Why these stocks are worth holding as markets navigate a deadly pandemic Critical information for the U.S. trading dayWhy you don’t want to grab for those cheap stocks as a deadly pandemic unfolds. Our call of the day has some quality stocks to recommend.

Stocks aim for back-to-back gains as investors focus on coronavirus case tallyU.S. stocks opened sharply higher on Tuesday, on track to consolidate their gains from the day before, amid hopes that the rate of increase in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and Western Europe was slowing down. The S&P 500 rose 3.2% to 2,749. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 865 points, or 3.8%, to 23,545. The Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.8% to 8,136. Investors honed in on a slowdown in infections in France and Italy, the center of the outbreak in Europe. And for the first time since January, China reported no new deaths due to the coronavirus. The hope is that once the virus is contained, consumers and economies can resume normal activity. News reports also suggest lawmakers are discussing another fiscal stimulus package potentially worth more than $1 trillion to prop up the economy.

Government rushes to save Main Street before businesses failThe optimism of small businesses in the U.S. economy suffered the biggest decline in March in 37 years — and due to the deepening coronavirus crisis that record is sure to be broken again very soon, the National Federation of Independent Business said.

The coronavirus pandemic reminds us that people belong at the center of our economic thinking Health, relationships and community are more important than abstract economic concepts and statisticsFounding the economy on good health of both individuals and populations will make us more resilient to future pandemics.

Newspaper sentiment about the economy started to worsen as soon as the first stories about the coronavirus appeared, a new Fed index shows Falling optimism came two months ahead of a plunge in consumer sentiment A new index that measures the sentiment of articles about the economy in newspapers started to drop as soon as the first stories about the coronavirus appeared, according to research from the San Francisco Fed

Markets are shrugging off Boris Johnson’s hospitalization. Here’s why. The government will go on, with the same ruling party. Under a parliamentary system, Parliament matters most.

Facebook in the age of COVID-19: Users are online, but will advertisers pay to get to them? Facebook has disclosed huge usage numbers for its services, but may struggle to find advertisers willing to spend in an uncertain economic environmentThe COVID-19 pandemic is sending people to Facebook Inc.’s social-networking, messaging and live-streaming platforms in record numbers, but that does not necessarily mean that advertisers will be shipping more money to Mark Zuckerberg’s company.

As hopes rise that worst of Spain’s pandemic is past, fear emerges of equally traumatic economic downturn Has the U.S. learned the necessary lessons from the likes of Italy and Spain?A string of falling coronavirus deaths has tossed a lifeline of hope to Spain, but a deep economic downturn waits on the other side.

U.S. was not adequately prepared for pandemic, says J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon His bank’s 2020 earnings will be ‘meaningfully’ lower, Dimon concedes in his annual letter to shareholdersThe U.S. was not adequately prepared for the current coronavirus pandemic and needs to address the lack of planning to better prepare for future crises, JPMorgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said Monday.

Global Rally Continues on Virus Containment Hopes Global stocks are rising again as hope persists that the spread of the coronavirus is slowing.

Well-wishes from world leaders pour in for Boris Johnson after the British prime minister is moved to intensive care with worsening coronavirus symptoms Politicians from across the political divide and around the globe send messages to London as the prime minister’s COVID-19 symptoms are said to have worsened Prime Minister Boris Johnson take into intensive care for coronavirus as condition worsens.

Asian markets rise, echoing Wall Street’s optimism on coronavirus battle Stocks tick up in Tokyo, Hong Kong, ShanghaiAsian shares rose Tuesday, echoing the rally on Wall Street, amid a few glimmers of hope that the coronavirus pandemic could be slowing.