U.S. deficit tops half a trillion dollars in first quarter of fiscal year

The U.S. Treasury building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 15, 2023. Nathan Howard | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.S. government ran up another half a trillion dollars in red ink in the first quarter of its fiscal year, the Treasury Department reported Thursday. For the period from October 2023 through December 2023, the budget … Read more

Prices rose 0.3% higher than expected, annual rate at 3.4%

Prices that consumers pay for a variety of goods and services rose more than expected in December, according to a Labor Department measure Thursday that shows inflation still holding a grip on the U.S. economy. The consumer price index increased 0.3% for the month, higher than the 0.2% estimate at a time when most economists … Read more

Thursday’s inflation report could challenge the market outlook for big Fed rate cuts

Consumers shop at a retail chain store in Rosemead, California, on December 12, 2023.  Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images Economists expect that inflation nudged higher in December, a trend that could call into question the market’s eager anticipation that the Federal Reserve will slash interest rates this year. The consumer price index, … Read more

Activist investor Elliott reportedly takes $1 billion stake in Match

(L-R) Gary Swidler, chief financial officer of Match Group, Greg Blatt, chairman of Match Group, Sam Yagan, CEO of Match Group and co-founder and CEO of OkCupid and Nelson Griggs, vice president of Nasdaq, pose for a photo in Times Square after celebrating Match Group’s initial public offering (IPO) at the NASDAQ stock exchange on … Read more

Fed Governor Bowman adjusts rate stance, says hikes likely over but not ready to cut

Federal Reserve Bank Governor Michelle Bowman gives her first public remarks as a Federal policymaker at an American Bankers Association conference In San Diego, California, February 11 2019. Ann Saphir | Reuters Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman, who had been one of the central bank’s staunchest advocates for tight monetary policy, said Monday she’s adjusted … Read more

Twilio CEO Lawson steps down after bruising activist battles

Jeff Lawson, founder, CEO and chairman of Twilio, speaks at a press conference during the Mobile World Congress on March 1, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis | Corbis News | Getty Images Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson on Monday said he is stepping down as CEO of the enterprise communications software company. The move … Read more

J&J to acquire Ambrx Biopharma, a cancer drug developer, for $2B

An entry sign to the Johnson & Johnson campus shows their logo in Irvine, California on August 28, 2019. Mark Ralston | AFP | Getty Images Johnson & Johnson on Monday said it will pay $2 billion in cash to acquire Ambrx Biopharma, a drugmaker specializing in one of the hottest areas of cancer treatment. … Read more

Moderna Covid vaccine sales plunge in 2023, but meet company forecast

Nikos Pekiaridis | Lightrocket | Getty Images Moderna on Monday said its Covid vaccine sales plunged by about two-thirds in 2023 to $6.7 billion, as fewer people rolled up their sleeves for an updated version of the jab. The revenue from the shots met Moderna’s forecast for the year, even as sales plummeted from the … Read more

Eli Lilly weight loss drug site may not upend industry

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Eli Lilly is shaking up the pharmaceutical industry with a new website offering telehealth prescriptions and direct home delivery of certain drugs, including its red-hot weight loss treatment Zepbound, to expand patient access.  The company’s direct-to-consumer push announced Thursday, the first of its kind for a big drugmaker, … Read more

Payrolls increased by 216,000 in December

The U.S. labor market closed out 2023 in strong shape as the pace of hiring was even more powerful than expected, the Labor Department reported Friday. December’s jobs report showed employers added 216,000 jobs for the month while the unemployment rate held at 3.7%. Payroll growth showed a sizeable gain from November’s downwardly revised 173,000. … Read more