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The Conference Board’s index of U.S. consumer confidence increased to 85.2 in June from 82.2 a month earlier, the New York-based private research group said.

91ÊÓƵ prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a slower pace than forecast in the year ended in April as declining affordability put a lid on appreciation.

The average price for regular gasoline at U.S. pumps climbed 1.87 cents in the past two weeks to $3.71 a gallon, according to Lundberg Survey Inc.

Purchases of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than projected in May, a sign the industry is stabilizing after a weather-depressed quarter.

Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign of steady progress in the labor market.

Builders broke ground on 1 million U.S. homes in May, indicating the industry is picking up this quarter after a weather-induced slump to start the year.

The consumer price index increased 0.4% in May, the biggest advance since February 2013, after climbing 0.3% the prior month, a Labor Department reported.

The Department of Labor said this week that it’s examining two worker deaths at warehouses operated by Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rose in June by the most in almost a year, a sign the residential real estate market is stabilizing after reeling from severe winter weather earlier this year.