WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods increased more than expected in February, while business spending on equipment showed tentative signs of recovery, boosting the economy's prospects in the first quarter. The rebound in orders reported by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, which was driven by increases in transportation equipment, primary metals and machinery, suggested manufacturing could be...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence was little changed in March as fading fears of a recession took a backseat to growing concerns about the nation's political environment ahead of November's presidential election, a survey showed on Tuesday. The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index dipped to 104.7 this month, essentially unchanged from a downwardly revised 104.8 in...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence was little changed in March as fading fears of a recession took a backseat to growing concerns about the nation's political environment ahead of November's presidential election, a survey showed on Tuesday. The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index dipped to 104.7 this month, essentially unchanged from a downwardly revised 104.8 in...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. annual home prices rose at a slower rate in January and slipped on a monthly basis for the first time in 17 months, data released Tuesday showed. Home prices grew 6.3% on a yearly basis from an upwardly revised 6.7% in December, a Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) report said, marking the first annual price...