Economy

Allbirds is now an AI company. Everlane got bought out by fast-fashion house Shein. The optimism that defined retail in the 2010s has been sold away.

The U.S. dollar index hit a more than one-year high this week, up about 5% since late January.

Years of stubborn inflation and the spike in gas prices have forced some travelers to opt for more affordable summer vacations. That often means staying closer to home.

Wall Street had been betting that higher oil prices will cause inflation. Now oil prices are dropping, and the leading theory is that cheaper goods could overheat the economy.

June manufacturing data shows strong output growth in the U.S., but analysts say much of the activity is precautionary stockpiling, rather than a genuine surge in consumer demand.

The S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index showed U.S. growth for June, but readings for some of the country’s key trading partners are just plain mediocre.

AI data centers require all kinds of materials — from copper to computer chips — which is driving up prices for other products that also need those resources.

Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, says Chair Warsh’s new policy to cut back on forward guidance could prevent dings to Fed credibility.

There’s a debate over whether low interest rates under Greenspan helped fuel the housing bubble.

Nearly two-thirds of builders are offering things like free appliances or lower-interest rate loans, according to the National Association of Home Builders.