AP - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket items besides autos and airplanes showed surprising strength in April, raising hopes that manufacturing can help the economy shake off the slumping housing market and credit crisis.

Reuters - Inflation is rising globally because of an easy monetary policy, especially in the United States, leading economist and former U.S. Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs John Taylor said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Stocks fell in choppy trading on Wednesday as renewed fears about the health of the financial sector overshadowed stronger-than-expected data on business investment that suggested an improving economy.

Reuters - New orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods dipped last month but demand outside of transportation jumped and a gauge of business investment rose sharply, suggesting surprising strength in the factory sector.

AP - Oil futures rose back above $130 Wednesday, recovering from early losses as threats against Nigerian oil facilities led investors to at least temporarily set aside concerns about falling U.S. gas demand.

AFP - The dollar recovered some lost ground against the euro Wednesday after much better-than-expected US durable goods data offset the impact of higher German inflation, dealers said.

AP - Ford Motor Co. plans to conduct involuntary layoffs of salaried employees by August as part of a restructuring in the face of slumping sales and record-high gas prices, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

AP - Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket items besides autos and airplanes showed surprising strength in April, raising hopes that manufacturing can help the economy shake off the slumping housing market and credit crisis.

AP - Stocks pulled back modestly Wednesday as a rebound in oil prices sapped an early rally brought by an upbeat durable goods orders report.

Reuters - Stocks rose on Tuesday, led by Apple Inc and other technology bellwethers, as investors bet that a sharp drop in oil prices will help shore up consumer and business spending.

AFP - Sales of new homes across the United States rose an unexpected 3.3 percent in April from the prior month, to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 526,000 homes, a government report showed Tuesday.