American businesses increased inventories by 0.4 percent in March as total sales accelerated sharply following a February setback, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
U.S. small- and mid-sized business owners have grown markedly more optimistic in their outlooks for sales and profits, and soon expect to increase hiring and prices, a new survey showed on Thursday.
Economic conditions for small businesses moderated in the first quarter of 2005, according to the Office of Advocacy’s newly released Quarterly Indicators: The Economy And Small Business.
ob growth surged last month as employers expanded their payrolls, suggesting that businesses remained upbeat about the economy despite its recent softness.
Evidence is mounting that tech spending among small- and medium-sized business may be flattening after several years of providing safe haven to tech providers burned by a severe spending slump among large customers.
Led by eBay and Amazon.com, online retailing soared to $69.2 billion last year from roughly zip a decade ago. But there are some signs the rocket may be running low on fuel.
The economy offered conflicting signs of growth on Thursday. While a closely watched gauge of future business activity fell for the fourth month in a row in April, job hunters got an encouraging cue.
simpy
