Confidence among Japanese merchants rose to the highest level in five months in February, a sign consumers are starting to benefit from the economic recovery. The Economy Watchers index, a survey of barbers, taxi drivers and others who deal with consumers, climbed to 42.1 from 38.8 in the previo...

U.S. consumers increased their debt in January for the first time in a year, the Federal Reserve reported Friday. Total seasonally adjusted consumer debt rose $4.96 billion, or at a 2.4% annual rate, in January to $2.46 trillion. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected consumer credit to decline...

Spending by U.S. consumers increased in January for a fourth consecutive month, a sign that the biggest part of the economy may contribute more to growth in coming months. The 0.5 percent increase in purchases was more than anticipated and followed a 0.3 percent gain in December that was larger ...

Housing starts in Japan fell 8.1 percent in January from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, better than a median market forecast for an 11.6 percent drop. It was the 14th straight month of decline in housing starts as consumers grew cautious about spending due to deteriorating inc...

German consumers and companies cut spending in the final quarter of 2009, putting a brake on the economic recovery. Private consumption dropped 1 percent from the third quarter and capital investment fell 0.7 percent, the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden said today. That offset the impact ...

Consumer Confidence in U.S. Falls More Than Forecast (Update1) Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | A A A By Bob Willis Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Confidence among U.S. consumers fell more than anticipated in February to the lowest level since April 2009 as the outlook for jobs d...

U.S. consumer sentiment slipped in early February, with high unemployment expected to continue and with most looking for no gain in income or home values in the year ahead, a survey released on Friday showed. The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its preliminary index of se...

The rebound in spending that gave U.S. retailers a lift during the holiday season probably carried over into the new year, signaling consumers may contribute more to growth, economists said before reports this week. Sales climbed 0.3 percent in January, the third gain in four months, according t...

Consumer Spending in U.S. Rises for Third Consecutive Month Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | A A A By Timothy R. Homan Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Spending by U.S. consumers increased in December for a third consecutive month, signaling the biggest part of the economy will cont...

Consumer confidence in Great Britain improved in January, but remained in negative territory. The GfK NOP survey firm reported Friday that its U.K. Consumer Confidence index improved two points to minus-17 in November. Consumers feelings about the coming 12 months also improved, to a reading o...