Consumers slowly show signs of springing
back NEW YORK (AP) -- A partial rebound in
consumer confidence and an expected strong March from retailers suggest
Americans are cautiously perking up. Meanwhile, merchants are expected to
report a 3.5 percent gain for March when they release sales figures next week,
according to an estimate from the International Council of Shopping Centers,
which was upgraded from its original 2.5 percent projection. California rebound boosts 20-city home
price index LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A surprisingly strong
rebound in California's real estate market helped lift a key home price index
for the eighth month in a row. That's good news for people who plan to
sell their homes this spring. Prices are now up almost 4 percent from the
bottom in May 2009, but still almost 30 percent below the May 2006 peak. Prices rose 0.3 percent from December to
January on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Standard &
Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday. Prices increased
in 12 cities in the index. Stocks waver after upbeat economic data NEW YORK (AP) -- The stock market moved
closer to closing out another strong quarter with a modest advance. The Dow Jones industrial average added 12
points to 10,907.42 for its fourth straight gain. Analysts expect trading to be erratic
Wednesday because of the end of the January-March quarter. At the end of a
quarter, institutional investors typically engage in what's known as window
dressing, or trades intended to boost returns on reports sent to shareholders.
Many also refrain from big moves. Tuesday's volume was also light as many
traders took the day off for Passover or in advance of Obama signs law finalizing health care,
loan redo WASHINGTON (AP) -- Finalizing two major
pieces of his agenda, President Both domestic priorities came in one bill,
pushed through by Democrats in the The new law makes a series of changes to
the massive health insurance reform bill that he signed into law with even
greater fanfare last week. Those fixes included removing some special deals
that had angered the public and providing more money for poorer and
middle-income individuals and families to help them buy health insurance. Nissan will sell electric car for just
over $25K NEW YORK (AP) -- The Leaf, a four-door hatchback due in
showrooms late this year, will have a base price of $32,780, but buyers can get
a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, Nissan said. The price tag puts the Leaf, which can go
up to 100 miles on a single charge from a home outlet, within reach of
mainstream car buyers, and it also will force competitors to respond when they
introduce their cars. Scientist: FDA suppressed imaging safety
concerns WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former Dr. Julian Nicholas said at a public
hearing that he and other FDA staffers "were pressured to change their
scientific opinion," after they opposed the approval of a CT scanner for
routine colon cancer screening. Nicholas said that he objected to exposing
otherwise healthy patients to the cancer risks of radiation. After FDA officials pushed ahead with
plans to clear the device, Nicholas said he and eight other staffers raised
their concerns with the division's top director Dr. Jeffrey Shuren last Journalists in China say BEIJING (AP) -- The Greece faces high rates despite eurozone
backstop ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Markets drove up
Greece's borrowing costs again Tuesday despite last week's promise of a
financial backstop from other eurozone countries, indicating the country's debt
crisis is far from over. Greece tapped another 390 million euros
from bond markets on Tuesday by re-opening -- or selling more of -- an
existing, 20-year bond. But its success in raising money from bond sales was
darkened by the continuing high interest rates markets are demanding to hold The interest rate gap, or spread, between Benchmark crude holds above $82 NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil prices were steady
Tuesday, holding above $82 a barrel as a report on consumer confidence turned
out better than expected. Benchmark crude for May delivery rose 20
cents to settle at $82.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In
London, Brent crude added 11 cents to settle at $81.28 on the ICE futures
exchange. Crude prices have stabilized after a
raucous 2008, when a barrel of oil soared above $147 in the summer and then
tumbled below $33 in the winter. Oil has wavered between $70 and $80 a barrel
for the past several months. That trend will likely continue without any major
news about the economy's recovery, analysts said. Xerox turnaround leader retiring; CEO adds
role NEW YORK (AP) -- Xerox Corp.'s chief
executive will try to copy the success of her predecessor now that it's her
company to run. CEO Ursula M. Burns -- the first black
woman to lead a company as big as Xerox -- will add the role of chairman when
Anne M. Mulcahy, 57, retires May 20. That will leave Xerox without the leader
who spent the past decade reshaping a company that had been on the verge of
disaster. Mulcahy took charge in 2001 amid mounting losses and a federal
investigation into the company's accounting practices. By The Associated Press The Dow rose 11.56, or 0.1 percent, to
10,907.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose
0.05, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,173.27, while the Benchmark crude for May delivery rose 20
cents to settle at $82.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude added 11 cents to
settle at $81.28 on the ICE futures exchange. In other Nymex trading in April contracts,
heating oil rose less than a penny to settle at $2.1247 a gallon and gasoline
gained 1.34 cents to settle at $2.2747 a gallon. With the April contracts scheduled
to end trading Wednesday, most investors already have switched to the May
contracts for heating oil and gasoline futures. The May contracts for heating
oil and gas futures both added less than a penny to settle at $2.1316 a gallon
and $2.2721 a gallon, respectively. Natural gas for May delivery rose 5.7
cents to settle at $3.973 per 1,000 cubic feet.