Archives for January 2011
Fed survey: US economy ends 2010 on strong note
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy ended last year on an encouraging note, with all parts of the country showing improvements. Factories produced more, shoppers spent more and companies hired more -- pointing to a stronger economy in 2011. That's the picture that emerged from the Federal Reserve's survey of economic conditions released Wednesday. Still, risks loom. Declining home prices and millions of foreclosures are depressing housing markets around the country, the survey said. Companies are also paying more for materials including oil, food products, steel, textiles and chemicals, the survey noted. However, competitive pressures prevented them from passing those…