Retail sales, housing woes boost rate cut talk
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Retail sales rose just 0.1 percent in February and a growing number of Americans fell behind on their mortgages late last year, according to data on Tuesday that raised concerns about the economy.
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Consumers undeterred by escalating credit problems and a weakening housing market went on a back-to-school buying spree last month, helping many retailers rebound from July's disappointing sales. But analysts are still worried that economic concerns might curtail shopping in the critical months ahead.
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Sales of existing U.S. homes slipped  in May, another sign of a gradually cooling housing market as  mortgage rates rise, while consumer confidence rose slightly in  June, according to reports on Tuesday.
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The stock market rose as investors speculated that a drop in new home sales would give the Federal Reserve more reason to lower interest rates.
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September new home sales rose slightly yet remained near decade lows, while orders for durable goods declined, presenting a mixed economic picture ahead of next weekâs Fed meeting.
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Stocks rallied on Monday as investors snapped up shares of manufacturers and downtrodden banks after more weak housing data bolstered expectations the Federal Reserve will slash rates later this week.
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Wall Street recovered on hopes of a Fed rate cut, but still traded lower, cautious about Merrill Lynchâs credit-related losses and a sharp drop in home sales.
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Consumer confidence fell more sharply than expected in September while the pace of existing home sales slowed in August, according to reports released on Tuesday that supported the view that the Federal Reserve would soon cut benchmark interest rates again.
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The latest data indicates that slowing home sales and the rising number of properties for sale is forcing more sellers to reduce prices in many locations across the country.
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Orders for US durable goods posted a larger-than-expected rise in July, but new home sales showed signs of buckling under the weight of higher interest rates, two government reports showed on Wednesday.
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Two days ago, stocks raced to record highs  on reports of strong June retail sales. Yesterday, the news cycle did an about-face as June retail sales were described as "crashing" and "plunging" in a record drop.
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WASHINGTON -- Consumers battered by a multitude of economic woes came roaring back in November, pushing retail sales up by the largest amount in four months.
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Stocks rallied Tuesday after the Federal Reserve cut a key short-term interest rate by a half-percentage point, reassuring investors that it was taking aggressive action amid the credit and mortgage market meltdown.
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The Federal Reserve cut a short-term interest rate yesterday to try to keep problems in the housing and mortgage markets from dragging the nation into recession, but Wall Street judged the move as too timid and financial markets tanked.
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A drop in energy costs pulled U.S. consumer prices down last month, but core inflation moved up modestly and housing starts surged, according to data on Wednesday that bolstered expectations for a steady diet of interest-rate rises.
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Slowing real estate sales coupled with the subprime mortgage mess are two of the reasons some people say a recession is nigh.
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U.S. stock futures rose on Thursday as investors bet that data on new home sales would strengthen the case for further interest rate cuts to ease the toll of the housing slump on the economy.