The 2014 Nissan Sentra and Altima are displayed in this November 21, 2013 file photo at the LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, California. The US international trade deficit shrank sharply in November to a four-year low on record exports and a drop in imports, government data released January 7, 2014 showed. The trade shortfall narrowed for the second month in a row, to $34.3 billion in November, the smallest gap since September 2009, the Commerce Department said. November exports rose 0.9 percent to a record $194.9 billion. Imports fell 1.4 percent to $229.1 billion amid a decline in oil prices. Imports of crude oil, which represent about 10 percent of total imports, dropped 10.8 percent in November to $21.4 billion. Imports of automobiles, however, continued to rise, reaching a record $27.2 billion, the department said. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN
NEW YORK: A more robust U.S. economy could lift 2014 profits and boost corporate spending, giving some comfort to investors worried about bloated stock prices.
Faster economic growth should translate into better sales growth for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, and that has investors watching the coming fourth-quarter earnings reports to see if chief executives sound more optimistic - and if they plan on spending the gigantic pile of cash they are hoarding.
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