Consumer Stocks: Losing Their Sparkle?

High commodity prices have taken their toll on Procter & Gamble and other makers of household items, dampening their appeal as defensive plays

Jobs: Expect a Damp Report for April

Action Economics' forecast calls for the U.S. economy to shed 60,000 jobs, marking the fourth straight monthly decline

The Fed Plans to Rest, but It Can't Relax

Its quarter-point cut and wait-and-see stance appear prudent. Yet the credit crunch limits the effect of past rate reductions, and more mortgage-related stress remains a threat

Fed Cuts by a Quarter-Point

Bernanke drives rates to the lowest since '04 after GDP shows weak growth built on inventories

Movers: General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Citigroup, Garmin

Wednesday's stocks in the news

Regulators: 'Fund Manager' Was a Fraud

In a New Jersey civil suit, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission accuses Robert J. Sucarato of fraud in raising at least $1.5 million from investors

Analyst Actions: Citigroup, Savvis, Buffalo Wild Wings

S&P Picks and Pans: Citigroup, GM, P&G, Garmin, Time Warner, International Paper, Wachovia

Analysts' opinions on stocks in the news Wednesday

Stocks Set to Open Higher

A better-than-expected read on first-quarter U.S. economic growth lifted sentiment Wednesday ahead of the Fed's interest-rate decison