U.S. economy: Consumer sentiment, manufacturing gain. Confidence among American consumers gained this month and manufacturing grew the most since January as a slide in gasoline, oil, metals and grain prices eased cost pressures on households and companies.

Mexican peppers posing salmonella risk still being sold. Federal officials say fresh jalapeno and serrano peppers from Mexico pose a salmonella risk, but the peppers are still selling..

Diller's IAC separating into 5 units. IAC/InterActiveCorp will officially break itself into five distinct companies Thursday, marking what could be one of the toughest..

A year after speech, Bernanke may have to eat his words. Last year, as financial markets began to crumble under the weight of bad mortgage loans, Chairman Ben Bernanke told the Federal..

Wall Street pulls back as financials fall. Wall Street retreated Monday after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell to their lowest levels in nearly 20 years on concerns that the government might need to bail out the mortgage financiers.

Photosynth uses lots of photos to put you at the center of a 3D scene. First there was the snapshot, and then came video. Now comes Microsoft Photosynth, kind of something in between.

Clueless about trading? Start networking online. Erin O'Brien and her friends are do-it-yourself investors. As part of an online community at the brokerage Zecco, they consult each other on terminology, tax law and investment philosophy.

Asian Stocks Rise; China Shares Jump on Speculation of Government Support. Asian stocks rose from a two-year low, led by China and Hong Kong shares on speculation the Chinese government will introduce measures to spur growth in the world's fastest expanding major economy.

USDA: Food prices to post biggest rise this year since 1990. Consumers should brace for the biggest increase in food prices in nearly 20 years in 2008 and even more pain next year due to..

Dollar falls against major currencie. The dollar fell against major currencies on Tuesday as oil prices rebounded and U.S. stocks fell amid weak economic data and financial worries.

Fannie, Freddie stocks fall amid bailout fears. WASHINGTON - Whether the government is actually on the verge of taking over mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, investor fears that a bailout is imminent could turn such a worst-case..

Wall Street Turbulence. Aug 19 - Weak economic reports and worries about Lehman Brothers sink stocks. The Dow lost 130.84 to 11,348.55. The S&P fell 11.91 to 1266.69. Nasdaq slid 32.62 to 2384.86. Click Fay bears down on Florida..

China stocks jump on speculation over policy plans. Chinese stocks surged Wednesday in their biggest gain in nearly four months on speculation Beijing plans new economic stimulus measures and other policies aimed at reviving the country's languishing markets.The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index jumped 7.6 percent to 2,523.28. It was the biggest one-day advance for the index since it rose 9.3 percent on April 24 after the government cut the tax on share transactions.The Shenzhen Composite Index shot up 7.2 percent to 712.82.Share prices rose across the board, with major brokerage CITIC Securities hitting the upside 10 percent limit at 18.70 yuan and Poly Real Estate also gaining 10 percent, to 15.07 yuan.

Mitsubishi UFJ Raises BID; Nippon Mining Falls; Tokyo Steel Cuts. Mitsubsihi UFJ raises BID for UnionBanCal by 17% to $3.5 Billion; Nippon mining falls most in five months, Credit Suisse cuts rating to 'neutral'; Tokyo steel cuts girder prices as much as 8% on falling raw..

Sad market could bring happiness. T here's never a bad time to start investing in stocks, many experts say. But there are periods when making the leap takes a lot more nerve.

Countrywide not out of woods yet. Countrywide's acquisition by Bank of America Corp. was supposed to help keep the troubled mortgage lender from collapse.

For investing, PCs are hands-down winners vs. Macs. Q: What's a better computer for online investing, a PC or a Mac?.

Hyundai plans to sell gasoline-electric hybrid in U.S. Hyundai Motor says it will bring a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its Sonata sedan to the U.S.

Ag conglomerate Cargill reports profit of $1.05B. Agriculture conglomerate Cargill Inc. on Tuesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net profit of $1.05 billion, driven by its global grain transportation unit and the sale of a power plant in the United Kingdom.

Back to basics. Jessica Walter didn't go to Harvard University to study cupcakes, but they're what she does since losing her job as a vice president in credit strategy at Bear Stearns.