Washington / AP U.S. home prices increased at a steady clip in December, helped by a healthy job market and low mortgage rates. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.7 percent from a year earlier, same as the annual increase in November. Prices rose 11.4 percent in Portland, Oregon; 10.3 percent in San Francisco and 10.2 percent ...

Atalanta / AP Home Depot reported better-than-expected profit and revenue in the fourth quarter and comparable-store sales jumped as the company continues to ride a sustained recovery in the housing market. The nation’s largest home improvement retailer also boosted its quarterly dividend by 17 percent. Solid job gains and low mortgage rates have fueled a rebound in home sales. Builders ...

DUBAI / WAM Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), has recorded a net profit of AED516 million for fiscal year ended December 2015, representing an impressive 27% increase over 2014. Total revenues for the year reached AED 1.66 billion, a 12% increase YoY. “Empower achieved an annual increase of 6.7% in its cooling capacity, to pass it over 1,115,000 Refrigeration ...