Bloomberg American factories flexed some muscle in April, boosting output by the most since February 2014 in broad fashion. Along with gains at mines and utilities, total industrial output was also the strongest in more than three years, Federal Reserve data showed. Factory production rose 1 percent (forecast called for a 0.4 percent gain) after a 0.4 percent drop in ...

Bloomberg Unexpected declines in US new-home construction and building permits in April indicate the market is off to a weak start this quarter, government data showed. The results indicate that residential construction is at risk of dragging down growth in the second quarter, lessening any economic rebound after weakness in the previous period. Other indicators of housing demand remain healthy, ...

China’s just-completed conference touting its Belt and Road initiative certainly looked like a triumph, with Russian President Vladimir Putin playing the piano and Chinese leaders announcing a string of potential deals and massive financial pledges. Underneath all the heady talk about China positioning itself at the heart of a new global order, though, lies in uncomfortable question: Can it afford ...