Business

New York -- U.S. stocks slipped Wednesday morning after the Census Bureau said new home sales dropped lower than expected in December.

New York -- Crude oil prices settled lower on the New York Mercantile Exchange with March delivery light, sweet crude falling close to $74 per barrel.

Washington -- The S&P/Case-Shiller price index said U.S. home prices fell in November from October, but annual declines have softened.

New York -- U.S. markets climbed higher Tuesday morning with investors taking a wait-and-see approach in advance of developments in Washington.

New York -- Crude oil prices climbed above $75 per barrel in New York Tuesday morning, despite a fifth consecutive trading session with Asian markets in decline.

Washington -- Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the $700 billion U.S. bank bailout program said his job was similar to a prosecuting attorney.

London -- Britain emerged from a recession in the fourth quarter of 2009 after six quarters of declines with growth that fell short of expectations, the government said.

Washington-- Sales of existing U.S. homes dropped as expected in December ending an eight-month upswing, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.

Washington -- The U.S. government's plan to wind down help for the troubled housing market is a big stakes gamble whose time has come, a Treasury Department official said.

New York -- Crude oil prices held under $75 per barrel Monday morning, following a week in which equity markets plummeted on Wall Street.