Consumer spending rose less than expected in January even as incomes improved, an indication that Americans may still be unsure about the slowly recovering economy. Personal income increased 0.3% from the prior month while spending rose 0.2%, the Commerce Department said Thursday. In December, spending was flat, but incomes rose 0.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Continue reading →

The U.S. manufacturing sector’s expansion slowed in February, according to data released Thursday by the Institute for Supply Management. The report followed disappointing data covering January consumer activity that led some economists to mark down their estimates of first-quarter economic growth. The ISM’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index fell to 52.4 last month from 54.1 in Continue reading →