In the U.S., it’s partly due to expectations of a stronger, more inflationary future economy with bigger budget deficits.

December sales figures showed spending was strong, but more consumers are using credit cards and buy now, pay later programs to finance purchases.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and other prominent names beat earnings forecasts. The Federal Reserve and volatile markets are giving them a boost.

Ian Bremmer of the Eurasia Group says a volatile Mideast, Russian disruption and a strained U.S.-China relationship could all prove harmful.

The pandemic set the stage for the bankruptcies, although they were delayed by government payouts and PPP loans.

The Federal Reserve has wanted cooling inflation coupled with steady employment. It’s gotten that.

The decline can lead to poor health outcomes and a loss of GDP, says Daphne Greenberg of Georgia State University.

We’re doing the numbers on the stories we’ve reported over the past year, the folks who made it all possible, and the impact we’ve had.

2024 has been a year of strong stock growth, but uncertainty about interest rates and Trump administration policies makes the picture murkier for the year ahead.

Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at 100. His administration was plagued by rampant inflation and an energy crisis.