U.S. online spending rose 4 percent to $29.1 billion in November and December with sales showing particular vigor over the Black Friday weekend and the week leading up to Christmas, according to data released on Wednesday by comScore.
The rate of job losses at U.S. private employers slowed in December and the services sector showed marginal growth, according to reports on Wednesday that pointed to a steady if unspectacular recovery.
Planned layoffs at U.S. firms fell in December to their lowest level in two years as economic activity began picking up steam, capping off the worst year for corporate job cuts since 2002, a report on Wednesday showed.
President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that U.S. intelligence agencies had enough information to possibly thwart an attempt to destroy a jet bound for Detroit on Christmas day.
Top U.S. retailers will give investors the most detailed picture yet of holiday sales this week, with most expected to show better sales after an abysmal 2008 performance.
U.S. online spending rose 5 percent to $27.12 billion from the start of November through Christmas Eve even though individuals spent slightly less than they did last year, according to data released by comScore on Wednesday.
Holiday season sales improved this year after an abysmal 2008, but early data appears unlikely to spell out a rebound in U.S. consumer spending.
The day after Christmas was the second-biggest shopping day during the U.S. holiday season, with $7.9 billion spent, even though traffic in stores fell 6.6 percent from a year ago, ShopperTrak said on Wednesday.
An unprecedented 22 percent of U.S. consumers said they did not finish their Christmas shopping this year as fewer discounts kept many wallets closed, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
An unprecedented 22 percent of U.S. consumers said they did not finish their Christmas shopping this year as fewer discounts kept many wallets closed, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
U.S. retailers performed better during the holiday shopping season this year than in historically dismal 2008, in line with lowered expectations, according to data released on Monday.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.16 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.1 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.15 percent at 4.10 a.m. ET.
U.S. retailers performed better during the key holiday shopping season this year after a historically dismal 2008, performing in line with dampened expectations, according to data released on Monday.
U.S. retailers posted a better performance during the 2009 holiday shopping season, with sales as tracked by MasterCard Advisors unit SpendingPulse up 3.6 percent.
U.S. retailers posted a better performance during the 2009 holiday shopping season, with sales as tracked by MasterCard Advisors unit SpendingPulse up 3.6 percent.
U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat to higher open on Wall Street on Monday following the Christmas break, with futures for the S&P 500 up 0.07 percent, Dow Jones futures flat and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.27 percent at 4.17 a.m. ET.
U.S. retailers posted a better performance during the 2009 holiday shopping season, with sales as tracked by MasterCard Advisors unit SpendingPulse up 3.6 percent.
With the holiday shopping buzz behind us, Amazon released its annual post-Christmas statement and announced that more Kindle books were sold than real books through Amazon on Christmas day.
Pope Benedict called on the world to abandon violence and vengeance on Friday and showed no sign of strain after an unstable woman lunged at him, forcing him to the ground, on Christmas Eve.
The central United States is expected to see a white but slick and blustery Christmas as snow will be coupled with blinding winds in western areas and freezing rain in the east, a forecaster predicted Thursday.
U.S. stocks rallied in a brief pre-holiday session on Thursday, closing at 2009 highs, after data showing a drop in initial jobless claims and growth in durable goods orders suggested an economic recovery was picking up steam.
Thousands of Christians crowded into Bethlehem on an unseasonably warm Thursday evening, before celebrating Christmas midnight mass in the Church of the Nativity at the birthplace of Jesus.
