In an age when currency crises in far flung parts of the world can cause layoffs at factories and offices in mid-America, it's important to keep up on news from the business world. The Two-Way monitors what's happening. We make sense of the trends.
by Mark Memmott
S&P says Berkshire Hathaway has an "excellent business profile," but that its dividend income is too dependent on the insurance companies it owns. The move is not expected to have much, if any, effect on Buffett's company.
by Mark Memmott
The good news: Inflation remains in check. The bad news: Jobless claims are up, and housing starts are down.
by Mark Memmott
An Indiana farmer bought soybeans that he knew likely included some with genetic modifications developed by Monsanto. The agribusiness giant sued because it controls the patent on such soybeans. The Supreme Court says the farmer infringed on Monsanto's legal rights.
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by Mark Memmott
The news could be another sign that the economy's picked up enough strength to convince employers that it's OK to hold on to workers.
by Marilyn Geewax
Airlines are flying fewer planes to small and midsize markets, part of a push to move more people through regional hubs, according to an MIT study. As the economy tumbled into recession, airlines shut down money-losing routes and moved to fill seats on remaining flights.
by Scott Neuman
The bill still faces an uphill battle in the House, where many Republicans oppose it as simply a new tax.
by Alan Greenblatt
The jobs report for April showed stronger job creation and a four-year low in the unemployment rate, sending stocks soaring. But the monthly numbers, while encouraging, are bound to be revised. That suggests that perhaps we're paying too much attention to them.
by Mark Memmott
The eagerly anticipated news was better than expected. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised upward its estimates of job growth in February and March.
by Mark Memmott
April job growth and unemployment figures are coming Friday morning. Economists expect to hear that employers added about 150,000 jobs to their payrolls and that the jobless rate stayed at 7.6 percent. But they worry about another negative surprise.
by Mark Memmott
There were 324,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, down 18,000 from the previous week's 342,000. Numbers on April's unemployment rate and job growth are due to be released Friday.
by Mark Memmott
Federal spending cuts and tax increases have started to bite, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will weigh in with its figures on unemployment and job growth in April.
by Mark Memmott
The latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices report shows year-over-year gains in 20 major cities. It's another sign that the housing sector, which crashed in 2007 and 2008, is on the mend.
Three popular pesticides are being banned in the European Union, where officials are hoping the change helps restore populations of honey bees, vital to crop production, to healthy levels.
Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, the passenger jet that was grounded around the world after flaws in its battery compartment were found to pose a fire risk, is back in the skies. Airlines in Japan and Ethiopia reported no problems after sending the 787 into the sky this weekend.
Faced with sharp losses after the Boston Marathon bombing attack, businesses in the affected Copley Square area can apply for federal help, the Small Business Administration says. People flocked to Boylston Street on Saturday, its first weekend the street's been fully open since the bombing attack.
The bidding hasn't closed yet, but a charity auction of having a cup of coffee with Apple CEO Tim Cook has attracted offers of more than $600,000. The coffee klatch will take place at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. There is no word on whether refills are free.
While the most recent data show a slight dip in the rate of fatal injuries, the actual number of people who lost their lives while at work edged up. Groups that push to make work safer say not enough is being done to prevent such deaths.
by Mark Memmott
Growth was a bit weaker than economists expected, but was well above fourth-quarter 2012's weak 0.4 percent increase. The first-quarter figure is likely to be revised in coming months, perhaps closer to the 3.2 percent growth economists were expecting.
by Mark Memmott
While the news is a positive sign, employers still seem to be reluctant to add many new jobs to their payrolls.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye Monday, to discuss nuclear energy and other topics. But the handshake they shared created the biggest stir in Korean society, after Gates greeted Park with a smile — and his left hand jammed into his pants pocket.
