While you were sleeping Housing, jobs data boost stocks

Thu, 17 Jan 2013

By Margreet Dietz Jan 18 (BusinessDesk) - Equities on both sides of the Atlantic rose as buoyant data on the US housing and labour markets as well as better-than-expected earnings from eBay bolstered hopes the economy is in better shape than feared. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits last week dropped 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 335,000, the lowest level since January 2008, according to the Labor Department. Housing starts increased 12.1 percent in December to their highest level since June 2008, according to the Commerce Dep...

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