U.S. orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rebounded in April, buoyed by more demand for aircraft and an increase in products that signal business investment.

Sales of new U.S. homes rose in April to the second highest level since the summer of 2008 while the median price for a new home hit a record high, further signs that housing is recovering.

The Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus is helping the U.S. economy recover but the central bank needs to see further signs of traction before taking its foot off the gas, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

Home resales rose in April to the highest level in nearly 3-1/2 years as surging prices lured sellers back into market, which should support the housing sector and the overall economic recovery.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says pessimists forecasting that the economy will not reap sizable benefits from the computer revolution are likely to be proven wrong.

U.S. stocks closed out another week of new record highs Friday as investors focused on the positive side of mixed economic news and corporate earnings.

U.S. consumer sentiment rebounded in early May to the highest level in nearly six years, an encouraging sign after recent data that has suggested economic growth is cooling.

The outgoing head of the Internal Revenue Service apologized on Friday for “foolish mistakes” made at the U.S. tax agency which he said resulted from a heavy workload, not a partisan mission.

A rule intended to loosen the largest U.S. banks' control over the trading of complex investments and help safeguard the financial system was weakened Thursday by regulators.

A sharp fall in the cost of gas drove a measure of U.S. consumer prices down last month by the most since December 2008. Outside the drop in fuel costs, prices were largely unchanged.