Reuters - U.S. mortgage applications nudged higher last week, reflecting increased demand for home purchase loans even as interest rates trekked higher, data from an industry group showed on Wednesday.
AP - Britain's economic recovery remains fragile, Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned Wednesday, as he paved the way for a national election by announcing the government's budget would be published in two weeks. -- read full article
Reuters - U.S. wholesale inventories fell modestly in January, while sales rose to their highest level since October 2008, suggesting that inventories would continue to support economic growth in the first quarter. -- read full article
AP - State officials say Nebraska's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in January, still less than half the national rate of 9.7 percent. -- read full article
AP - South Carolina's unemployment rate tied its record high in January at 12.6 percent, and jobless numbers went up in all of the state's 46 counties, according to data released Wednesday. -- read full article
AP - Alabama's January unemployment rate rose to 11.1 percent, the highest mark in 26 years and a level that may increase again this spring. -- read full article
AP - Businesses trimmed inventories at the wholesale level again in January even though sales rose for a 10th consecutive month. The dip in inventories underscored that businesses remain cautious about restocking their depleted shelves.
AP - Gov. Mark Parkinson called Kansas' first unemployment report for 2010 "discouraging," urging legislators Wednesday to put politics aside in finding solutions. -- read full article
AP - Speedway Motorsports Inc. said Wednesday that its fourth-quarter loss widened as tough economic conditions depressed revenue from racing events and expenses grew. -- read full article
AP - The Labor Department on Wednesday said that unemployment rates rose in 30 states in January, as jobs remain scarce across the country. -- read full article
Reuters - U.S. wholesale inventories fell unexpectedly in January and sales hit their highest in more than a year, suggesting businesses will soon need to begin restocking, which would support economic growth. -- read full article
Reuters - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday said the Obama administration's strategy to halt recession and contain the financial crisis has been effective, but vowed to continue stabilization efforts.
