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U.S. consumer spending picked up in March while the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge hit the central bank’s 2% target for the first time in a year, reinforcing the outlook for further interest-rate hikes.

U.S. economic growth cooled last quarter as consumers pulled back after outsize spending in the prior period, though solid business investment cushioned some of the weakness and employee-compensation costs accelerated amid a tight job market.

U.S. employment costs increased more than forecast in the first quarter as worker pay and benefits accelerated, according to Labor Department data released April 27.

U.S. consumer sentiment exceeded estimates in April on Americans’ increasingly favorable views of their finances, University of Michigan survey data showed April 27.

The United States and its NAFTA partners are stepping up efforts to reach a tentative deal in the coming days — with one Mexican minister saying a pact is “reasonably close” while the United States prepares for talks with China.

Orders placed with U.S. factories for business equipment eased unexpectedly last month after a smaller February advance, indicating a more moderate pace of capital spending, a Commerce Department report showed April 26

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits plunged to the lowest level since 1969, mainly reflecting the return of educational service workers in New York state, figures showed April 26.

Global trade momentum slipped in February, easing after recording its best month in more than seven years.

U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in April to the second-highest level since 2000 as Americans grew more upbeat about both current conditions and the economic outlook, according to figures April 24 from the New York-based Conference Board.

Caterpillar Inc. raised its earnings forecast in a sign that industries from mining to energy are gaining momentum amid a stronger global economy — assuming no trade wars.