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U.S. retail sales increased in December as households bought motor vehicles and a range of other goods, pointing to strong demand in the economy and further reinforcing the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to cutting interest rates this year. The report from the Commerce Department on Thursday prompted economists to upgrade their economic growth estimates for the fourth quarter to just shy of the July-September quarter's brisk pace. It followed news last week of a surge in nonfarm payrolls in December and a drop in the unemployment rate to 4.1% from 4.2% in November.

(Bloomberg) -- There’s a truism in municipal debt: Bonds rarely move on natural disasters. That long-tested concept had held up until fires destroyed thousands of properties in Los Angeles last week. Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires. Architects Explain WhyNYC Commuters Get New Way to Dodge Traffic: $95 Helicopter RidesChicago Agency Pitches $1.5 Billion Plan to Fix Transit WoesWill Americans Ever Lose Their Taste for Telework?Churches, Cinemas — and Moon Artifacts — Top

European luxury shares jumped Thursday after Cartier parent Richemont reported record quarterly sales, lifting investor hopes that the high-end sector is finally recovering from a slump caused by weak Chinese demand.

U.S. stock indexes are drifting Thursday following a mixed set of earnings reports from Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealth Group and other big companies. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in early trading. Stocks were holding steadier after shooting higher the day before on hopes that an encouraging report on inflation may convince the Federal Reserve to deliver more of the cuts to interest rates this year that Wall Street loves.

Netflix upgraded, AMD downgraded: Wall Street's top analyst calls

(Bloomberg) -- From Apple iPhones to Adidas shoes and Uber Eats takeaways, Britons are using buy-now, pay-later like never before to fund their lifestyles.Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires. Architects Explain WhyChicago Agency Pitches $1.5 Billion Plan to Fix Transit WoesAs E-Bikes Boom in NYC, Some Call for More RegulationsChurches, Cinemas — and Moon Artifacts — Top List of Endangered MonumentsNYPD Reforms Car Chase Policy Amid Rising Crashes, InjuriesThis model, allow

(Reuters) -Morgan Stanley's profit more than doubled in the fourth quarter, fueled by a wave of dealmaking and stock sales that drove its revenue to a full-year record. The earnings rounded out a robust quarter for Wall Street banks, which benefited from a surge in mergers and acquisitions due to a strong U.S. economy, interest-rate cuts and expectations of lighter regulation under incoming President Donald Trump. It also wraps up a strong first year for CEO Ted Pick, who had won a three-man contest for the top job.

Investors have been hoping Donald Trump's return to the White House next week will boost the U.S. stock market, while Goldman Sachs sees stocks benefiting from the biggest expected company buybacks in at least five years. A corporate repurchase window, when companies can buy their own stock, begins Jan 24. Goldman strategist Scott Rubner told clients in a note sent on Wednesday and seen by Reuters on Thursday that companies that make up 45% of the value of the entire S&P 500 could be allowed to buy back their shares.

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but remained at levels consistent with a healthy labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 217,000 for the week ended Jan. 11, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims data tend to be volatile at the start of the year, but have continued to signal low layoffs that are underpinning the labor market and broader economy.

Chips that are powerful enough to run AI servers are in high demand, helping propel Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s stellar financial results.