Business category, Page 234

Consumers’ grasp of credit is the lowest it’s been in eight years, according to an annual survey by credit scoring company VantageScore and the Consumer Federation of America, a nonprofit association of consumer groups. For example, 62% of those surveyed this year knew that everyone has more than one credit...

NEW YORK — Drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft in New York City can be banned from displaying advertisements in their vehicles, a federal appeals court said Tuesday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the ban does not violate the First Amendment as it reversed a February...

NEW YORK — The gravitational pull of Amazon Prime Day is so strong on shoppers it’s benefiting other retailers as well, according to an early analysis from a key data group. On Monday, the first day of its 48-hour sales event, large retailers, those that generated annual revenue of at...

A telescope is a fine instrument, but not if you need a microscope. In the stock market, as in science, there are different instruments for different purposes. For finding cheap stocks, the most common gauge is the price/earnings (P/E) ratio – a stock’s price divided by the company’s per-share earnings...

BEIJING — China’s economic growth sank to its lowest level in at least 26 years in the quarter ending in June, adding to pressure on Chinese leaders as they fight a tariff war with Washington. The world’s second-largest economy grew 6.2% over a year ago, down from the previous quarter’s...

WASHINGTON — President Trump signed an executive order Monday that will require federal agencies to purchase products using more American components. The order strengthens the standards that federal agencies must follow under the Buy American Act, which creates a preference for American-made goods. Trump said his order will gradually boost...

NEW YORK — The major U.S. stock indexes closed at record highs Friday, with the S&P 500 ending above 3,000 for the first time. The market was driven higher by technology, consumer discretionary and industrial company stocks, which more than offset the drop in drugmakers. Investors continued to remain focused...

SAN FRANCISCO — The FTC has voted to approve a fine of about $5 billion for Facebook over privacy violations, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The report cited an unnamed person familiar with the matter. Facebook and the FTC declined to comment. The Journal said the 3-2 vote broke...

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that big tech companies must not be allowed to censor the voices of the American people on social media, even as he hailed conservative critics for using the platforms to get around the “fake news filter.” Trump has weaponized social media to eviscerate...

The 2020 Ford Explorer will offer tires that patch their own holes. Drivers may not even know they ran over a nail, but here’s what they should know: The tires allow them to keep traveling after a puncture, in some cases continuing for days without a repair. They use different...

DETROIT — Volkswagen will sink $2.6 billion into a Pittsburgh autonomous vehicle company that’s mostly owned by Ford as part of a broader partnership on electric and self-driving vehicles, the companies confirmed Friday. The two automakers will become equal owners of Argo AI, a robocar firm that was majority-owned by...

Pennsylvania ranks among the worst states in which to start a new business, according to a new WalletHub study. The study, comparing 50 states across 26 indicators of startup success, ranked Pennsylvania 46th overall based on business environment, access to resources and business costs. Pennsylvania’s ranking put it below even...

Perhaps the phrase “Perfect 10” makes you think of a beautiful woman, or a perfect score in gymnastics. Well, my Perfect 10 Portfolio is a little different. It consists of 10 stocks, each of which carries a price/earnings ratio (P/E) of 10. The P/E is simply a stock’s price divided...

NEW YORK — Wealthy financier and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was arrested Saturday in New York on sex-trafficking charges involving allegations that date to the 2000s, according to law enforcement officials. Epstein, a wealthy hedge fund manager who once counted as friends former President Bill Clinton, Great Britain’s Prince...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Coal tycoon Chris Cline, who worked his way out of West Virginia’s underground mines to amass a fortune and become a major Republican donor, has died in a helicopter crash outside a string of islands he owned in the Bahamas. Cline and his 22-year-old daughter Kameron were...

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers sharply stepped up their hiring in June, adding a robust 224,000 jobs, an indication of the economy’s durability after more than a decade of expansion. The strength of the jobs report the Labor Department issued Friday could complicate a decision for the Federal Reserve late this...

Boeing said Wednesday that it will provide an “initial investment” of $100 million over several years to help families and communities affected by two crashes of its 737 Max plane that killed 346 people. The Chicago-based company said some of the money will go toward living expenses and to cover...

That cuddly new puppy can be pretty intimidating if pet owners consider the veterinary bills it might produce. A pet’s torn knee ligaments or a broken leg that needs surgery could cost a few thousand dollars. Even stitches to close a bite wound after a scrap with another dog can...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The CEO of one of the nation’s largest coal producers says he’s confident the company will bounce back despite the shutdown of several mines after it filed for federal bankruptcy protection. Milton-based Blackjewel LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for southern...

BOSTON — Facebook says it will make advertisements for jobs, loans and credit card offers searchable for all U.S. users under a legal settlement designed to eliminate discrimination on its platform. The plan disclosed in an internal report Sunday voluntarily expands on a commitment the social medial giant made in...

WASHINGTON — President Trump declared the U.S. was “winning” the trade war a day after reaching a temporary truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On a visit to South Korea following the Group of 20 summit in Japan, Trump said at a news conference the Federal Reserve “has not been...

SAN FRANCISCO — A newspaper is reporting that Apple will manufacture its new Mac Pro computer in China, shifting away from a U.S. assembly line it had been using for that product in recent years. The Wall Street Journal reported the plan Friday, citing unidentified people familiar with the move....

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The owners of toy maker Lego are teaming up with a group of investors to buy Merlin Entertainment, a British company that operates theme parks like Legoland and the Madame Tussauds wax museums. Kirkbi Invest said Friday it is joining forces with private equity firm Blackstone and...

PGT Trucking Inc., a flatbed transportation company, will expand its Indiana County operations and add 25 jobs, Gov. Tom Wolf said Thursday. PGT Trucking plans to expand its Burrell Township location to improve its training operations and maintenance capabilities. The project includes significant expansion of the primary training facility for...

MODESTO, Calif. — Along large swaths of California’s lush central valley, almonds in the fuzzy hulls of tree leaves blow in the wind on thousands of acres of orchards. Thousands of miles away in India, customers browse the nut sections of busy street markets and grocery stores in search of...