Economy Week Ahead: Inflation, Consumer Spending, Home Sales

The U.S. Commerce Department's retail-sales report for January highlights this week's slate of economic data, which also includes Japan's fourth-quarter GDP and U.S. home prices for January. 


 
Stocks Fall Amid Ukraine Concerns, Inflation Data

Indexes were weighed down by anxieties about the Federal Reserve's plans for monetary tightening and tensions between Russia and Ukraine. 


 
Why Russian Invasion Peril Is Driving Oil Prices Near $100

Spare supplies of oil and gas are limited globally as demand rebounds faster than production, making a Russian move on Ukraine a serious geopolitical risk event. 


 
Biden Speaks to Ukrainian Leader Zelensky as Prospect of Conflict Looms

President Biden told Ukraine's leader the U.S. and its allies would respond rapidly to any further Russian aggression against his country, the White House said. 


 
Omicron's Threat to the Global Economy Runs Through China

The U.S. and Europe are learning to live with the virus, but Beijing's zero-Covid strategy could lead to recurring lockdowns and limit exports the rest of the world relies on. 


 
Private Equity Surges in China as Broader M&A Market Stalls

Last year saw $580 billion of China-related M&A, with $108 billion involving private equity. 


 
Inflation Is Everywhere, Including Places You Might Not Expect

Beyond higher prices for materials, shipping or wages, inflation is hitting U.S. companies in less-obvious ways, seeping into legal costs for Marlboro maker Altria and auto-repair bills for insurer Allstate. 


 
What CEOs Are Saying: 'We See Inflation Going Up Everywhere'

Leaders from PepsiCo, Disney, Chipotle and other companies share their thoughts about pricing strategy, the pandemic and travel. 


 
Deals Are Booming, but Antitrust Scrutiny Has Deal Traders Worried

Merger targets like Activision Blizzard, Spirit Airlines and Zynga are trading well below their agreed-upon acquisition prices, a sign that investors are more worried than usual that the deals could fall apart. 


 
OpenSea's NFT Free-for-All

Enthusiasts love the freewheeling atmosphere on the marketplace, which calls itself "an eBay for crypto goods." But limited oversight also means the site is awash in unauthorized items; securing compensation after a scam can be tough.


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-13-22 2115ET