last quarter

The American economy picked up steam last quarter, with output growing at an annualized rate of 2.8 percent, a faster rate than the 1.8 percent of the third quarter.

Apple just posted its earnings for its fiscal year 2012 first quarter. Last quarter, Apple didn’t live up to analysts’ expectations, but the company still had a record September quarter.

Anyone who questioned why Apple has been focusing so much on trumping Samsung in the courts around the world can now have a better understanding as Samsung propelled ahead of Apple last quarter in world-wide smartphone sales.

U.S. stocks resumed their rally Wednesday after a series of earnings reports came in better than expected.

Target, Staples and Dell all reported earnings for last quarter that were above analysts' forecasts.

Strong sales in emerging markets and to business customers helped Apple extend its streak of stellar performance in the last quarter without introducing any major new products.

The U.S. and world economies have been showing signs of recovery. Unemployment is down and spending is slowly starting to go back up.

The retail industry is poised for a big year following a strong last quarter in 2010. What are the keys to continued success?

The economic rebound last quarter turned out to be slower than first thought, one of the reasons unemployment is likely to stay stubbornly high this year.

A speedup in consumer spending helped keep the economy ticking, after a mainly business-driven growth spurt last quarter.

Americans regained more of their shrunken wealth last quarter, mainly because the healing economy boosted stock portfolios. But the gain was less than in the previous two quarters.

The economy's 5.7 percent growth last quarter — the fastest pace since 2003 — was a step toward shrinking the nation's 10 percent unemployment rate.