bellwether

A lot of people talk about Federal Express as an economic bellwether. And even though FedEx reported a lower than expected profit Thursday, we should all hope that more companies follow the shipping giant's lead.

JPMorgan-Chase may have posted its biggest profits in more than a year -- $3.6 billion for the third quarter -- but such stellar figures aren't being seen in most other parts of the economy.

Alisa Roth reports.

The tech bellwether sees continued weakness in corporate IT spending and a soft market for PCs. Housing starts hit a record low.

The Senate overwhelmingly passes a credit card reform bill. Home Depot posts profit, reaffirms its full-year sales forecast.

General Electric reportedly is looking to sell off its appliance unit. If a bellwether like GE is struggling, what's it like out there for everyone else? Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.