S&P 500 Flirts With Record Levels

The index is on track to extend its winning streak to eight sessions and is nearing its record that was set in February. 


 
U.S. Producer Prices Rise More Than Expected

The U.S. producer-price index, a measure of the prices businesses receive for their goods and services, rose 0.6% in July, the largest monthly rise since October 2018 and double the increase economists had expected. 


 
A Chunk of Corporate Travel May Be Gone Forever. But How Much?

Airline and hotel executives don't ask themselves whether corporate travel will be permanently reduced due to Covid-19. They ask themselves by how much-and the forecasts look scary. 


 
Commercial Properties' Ability to Repay Mortgages Was Overstated, Study Finds

Many borrowers are struggling because of the coronavirus. The study showed that even during normal economic times, mortgaged properties' net income often falls short of the amount underwritten by lenders. 


 
New Covid-19 Cases Fall Below 50,000 in U.S. for Second Straight Day

The U.S. reported fewer than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row, even as the number of cases world-wide surpassed 20 million. 


 
U.S. Employers Shed IT Jobs Amid Faltering Reopening Plans

U.S. employers shed roughly 134,000 information-technology jobs in July, according to IT trade group CompTIA, a signal that companies might be taking a wait-and-see approach as questions remain over everything from a new stimulus package to the return of in-person schooling amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic. 


 
Employers Cast Wary Eye on Trump Payroll-Tax Deferral

Employers considering President Trump's plan to allow deferred payment of payroll taxes face a series of costs, uncertainties and headaches. 


 
From Cocoa to Coffee and Sugar, Soft Commodities Stage Simultaneous Rally

The raw ingredients for goods including chocolate have rebounded, lifted by supply constraints and investors' bets that a recovering economy will boost consumer demand. 


 
Duty-Free Boom Fuels Surge in Chinese Tourism Stocks

Chinese tourism stocks are flying high, thanks to a bet by investors that travelers will stick to domestic excursions due to the pandemic and also take advantage of relaxed duty-free rules. 


 
China's Strong July Auto Sales Fuel Hopes for Growth

Chinese consumers flocked back to auto dealerships in July, boosting car makers' hopes of returning to growth in the second half of the year and signaling a broader rebound in the world's second-largest economy.