Economy

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• Experts: Fed Turned More Hawkish in Latest Policy Statement
  The Federal Reserve adopted a more hawkish tone in its policy statement Wednesday, experts told CNBC.
• Businesses Urge Action on Fast-track Trade Authority
  U.S. businesses urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to make a case for fast-track authority on trade agreements before his upcoming trip to Asia, which is seen as an opportunity to push a Pacific trade deal.
• Wal-Mart and Allies Grapple with Apple over Mobile Payments
  Suddenly it's Apple versus Wal-Mart in the fight for shoppers' digital wallets.
• Chicken Feed Costs an Arm and a Leg as Soybean Meal Surges
  Freight trains aren't getting food to chickens fast enough, sending prices for livestock feed made from soybeans toward the biggest monthly gain in 40 years.
• Kraft Foods Profit Falls as Price Hikes Hurt Sales
  Kraft Foods Group Inc. said quarterly profit fell nearly 11 percent as price hikes, designed to offset higher commodity costs, hit demand for its popular products such as Velveeta cheese and Jell-O desserts.
• Visa Profit Tops Estimates as Consumer Card Spending Increases
  Visa Inc., the world's largest payments network, posted profit that beat analysts' estimates as consumer card spending increased. The company also announced a new $5 billion share repurchase program.
• EEOC Sues Honeywell over Employee Wellness Testing
  The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Honeywell International Inc to stop the company from imposing penalties on employees who refuse to undergo testing under its corporate wellness program.
• Yellen Tames Fed's Inflation Hawks with a Few Choice Words
  Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen persuaded two hawkish colleagues to join her pledge on Wednesday to keep interest rates low for a long while, winning them over by sounding an optimistic tone on the U.S. job market and inflation.
• Q&A: Did the Fed's $4 Trillion Experiment Work?
  The $4 trillion experiment is almost over.At the conclusion of a two-day meeting on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced the end of its economic stimulus known as quantitative easing, or QE. Launched during the financial crisis in 2008, the Fed began buying huge amounts...
• Fed Keeps Rate at Record Low, Ends Bond Buying
  The Federal Reserve plans to keep a key interest rate at a record low to support a U.S. job market that's improving but still isn't fully healthy and help lift inflation from unusually low levels.
• Greenspan: Fed Can't End Easing Without Causing Market Turmoil
  Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said he doesn't think the Fed can unwind years of extraordinary stimulus without causing turmoil in financial markets.
• Economist Beaman: Expect Interest Rates to Increase in 2015
  
  Economist and financial expert Steve Beaman joined J.D. Hayworth and Francesca Page on "America's Forum" on Newsmax TV Wednesday to discuss the effect of lower gas prices on the economy, the role the economy will play on the midterms, and what to expect in the upcoming year.
• Christie's Economic Vows Fail on Slow Job Growth, NJ Rating Woes
  During his inauguration in January 2010, Chris Christie cast New Jersey as a state poised to sprint out of the recession.
• Study: Health Insurance Premiums Skyrocket Under Obamacare
  
  Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed since the introduction of Obamacare last year, a new study shows.
• China's Slowing Economy Triggers Surge of Bad Loans at ICBC
  Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., the world's largest lender by assets, reported its biggest jump in bad loans since at least 2006 as the property market slumped and the economy cooled.
• US Airlines Point to Additional Problems of Any Ebola Travel Ban
  U.S. airlines have said little publicly about political pressure to close the country's borders to travelers from Ebola-ravaged countries in West Africa, but in private they have briefed government officials about the challenges to implementing a ban.
• Bank-Data Sharing Accord Expands Push to Find Tax Cheats
  Governments are closing in on tax evaders with a data-sharing agreement that broadens efforts by the U.S. and the five biggest European Union economies to at least 50 countries and territories.
• Fed Decision Day Guide: FOMC Seen Focusing on Too-Low Inflation
  Here's what to look for when the Federal Open Market Committee releases its policy statement at 2 p.m. in Washington.Federal Reserve officials won't provide new economic projections, and Chair Janet Yellen isn't scheduled to give a post-meeting press conference.
  With the...
• Fed Set to End One Crisis Chapter Even as Global Risks Rise
  The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday is expected to shutter its bond-buying program, closing one controversial chapter in its crisis response even as it struggles to manage a full return to normal monetary policy.
• RIP QE: 'Clearly Overblown' Criticisms and 'Exaggerated Benefits'
  Soaring inflation. A collapsing dollar. Bubbles in financial markets that would soon pop. One presidential candidate even suggested that the Federal Reserve chairman should be roughed up.
• Boskin: Three Steps Obama Should Take on Economy After Election
  There is still hope that President Obama can cooperate with Republicans in Congress to solve some of our biggest economic problems, says Stanford University economist Michael Boskin.
• Marriott Raises Profit Forecast as US Hotels Fill up
  Marriott International Inc. raised its profit forecast for the year as more business travelers and tourists pay higher rates to stay at its hotels in North America.
• GM to Relocate Volt Drive, Invest $300 Million in Michigan
  General Motors will move production of the electric drive unit for the next-generation Chevrolet Volt to Michigan from Mexico and plans to announce almost $300 million in investment in the state this year.
• Homeownership Rate Falls to Lowest Since Early 1995
  The homeownership rate in the U.S. fell to the lowest in more than 19 years as the market shifted toward renting and tight credit blocked some potential buyers.
• Consumer Confidence Hits 7-Year High on Economic Growth Hopes
  U.S. consumer confidence rebounded strongly in October, hitting a seven-year high as solid job gains raised expectations for economic growth.

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