Archive for December 2007
Retailers post stronger November sales
Retail sales increased 1.2 percent last month, a surprise to analysts, who had predicted that rising gasoline prices, a housing slump and credit problems would cause consumer spending to increase by only 0.6 percent, the …
Read MoreFed, central banks plan to add liquidity
The Federal Reserve hopes to relieve short-term funding pressures by adding cash to banks through auctions and providing $24 billion in currency-swap lines to the European and Swiss central banks, Bloomberg reported.
The Fed is …
Mortgage application volume rises
Mortgage application volume climbed 2.5 percent for the week ended Dec. 7, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly loan application survey, the Associated Press reported.
The MBA’s weekly application index increased to 811.8 from …
Urbandale City Council OKs Goodwill’s site plan
The Urbandale City Council approved a site plan at its Dec. 4 meeting for Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa to build a 15,000-square-foot store at 4500 N.W. Urbandale Drive. The new store is scheduled to …
Read MoreGrubb & Ellis Co. expands
Grubb & Ellis Co. announced it has entered into a partnership with Mid-America Commercial Real Estate.
In a press release from Mid-America, Pat Hurley, senior vice president of Grubb & Ellis Affiliates Inc., said Des …
RE/MAX enters the commercial real estate market
RE/MAX Real Estate Group will give a shot at the commercial real estate market in Des Moines. This will be a new venture for the residential home sales company with offices located in Windsor Heights …
Read MoreWaMu to close subprime business
Seattle-based Washington Mutual Inc. announced yesterday that it would lay off more than 3,000 workers and set aside up to $1.6 billion for loan losses in the fourth quarter, becoming another finance company to predict …
Read MoreEconomic growth expected to slow considerably
Analysts have lowered their estimates for U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter from a 1.5 percent forecast in November to 1 percent, as consumer spending cools and the housing slump continues, Bloomberg reported.
The …
U.S. opposes U.N. emissions-cutting plan
The Bush administration opposed a draft proposal calling on developed countries to make binding emission cuts of 25-40 percent by 2020 presented by the United Nations at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in …
Read MoreEnergy, new top cost pressure for businesses
Energy has tied health care as top cost concerns for big businesses, according to a survey of corporate CEOs by the Business Roundtable, The Business Review of Albany, N.Y., reported.
Almost one-third, 32 percent, of …