Bloomberg US wheat grabbed its first sale to the Egyptian government in more than two years as the world’s biggest buyer requested grain with a higher protein content, knocking France out of the mix. Egypt’s General Authority for Supply Commodities bought two cargoes of US wheat totaling 115,000 metric tons, of 39 percent of the amount purchased, according to two …

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, …