worries

Many of the nation’s retailers struggled with a sluggish back-to-school season, as shoppers focused on buying essentials amid persistent worries about high gas and food prices.

Shares of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. edged lower Monday amid worries the company may face a fiscal third-quarter loss instead of a modest profit that many analysts had expected.

Oil prices resumed their descent as a strengthening dollar and worries about economic growth offset supply concerns.

The drop in oil prices drove U.S. stock markets sharply higher.

Confronted by problems at every turn _ rising unemployment, shaky growth, credit troubles and creeping inflation _ the Federal Reserve left an important interest rate unchanged, taking a gamble that for now the ...

Stocks pared early losses and traded narrowly mixed Wednesday as a drop in oil prices helped corral fresh worries about the financial sector.

The Federal Reserve held U.S. interest rates steady on Tuesday, expressing concerns on both economic growth and inflation and offering few clues as to when it might push borrowing costs higher.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, denied a report Friday that it had pressured employees to vote against Democrats in November because of worries that a bill the party supports would make it easier for workers to unionize.

Crude oil futures swung wildly on Monday, rising to a record and then tumbling as investors wrestled with whether they should put stock in Saudi Arabia's promise to boost production.

Retail gas prices rose to a record $4.08 a gallon.

Oil prices held steady around $8 below the record hit last month as investors tried to determine if the market's yearlong bull run is over.

Jitters that record high fuel and energy prices are cutting into demand _ particularly in the U.S., which has just started its summer driving season _ helped to pull oil off the $135.09 a barrel trading record hit May 22.

At the same time, worries that supplies in the near-term won't be able to keep up with demand growth in Asia have kept a floor underneath prices.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer confidence fell for a third straight month in April, hitting its weakest in 26 years, on heightened worries over inflation and the sagging housing market, a survey showed on Friday.

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