Optimism among small-business owners edged down in October as firms faced inventory shortages and hiring difficulties forcing them to raise compensation at a historically high rate, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB’s small-business optimism index fell by 0.9 of a percentage point to 98.2 in October, according to the group’s Nov.9 Small…

LONDON/TOKYO—Shares from Asia to Europe gained on Wednesday on rising optimism about the global economy and corporate earnings, while government bond yields rose and the yen fell to its lowest in four years against the dollar. The regional Euro STOXX 600 traded up 0.1 percent after opening in negative territory, amid a somewhat mixed picture…

European stocks hit a more than two-week high on Thursday as investors hoped that a steady economic recovery from the pandemic-induced slump will support corporate earnings despite signs of elevated inflation. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.8 percent, with miners up 2.1 percent and technology stocks gaining for a second day. European semiconductor companies,…

Overall optimism among small-business owners edged down in September while the level of confidence in the six-months-ahead outlook for business conditions fell to a nine-year low as inflation and hiring difficulties took a bite out of sentiment, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB’s so-called optimism index fell by one percentage point…

Wall Street ended higher on Wednesday as investors grew more optimistic that congressional Democrats and Republicans could reach a deal to avert a government debt default. Top U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said his party would support an extension of the federal debt ceiling into December. This would head off a historic default that would…

Overall optimism among small-business owners ticked up slightly in August, although the level of confidence in the six-months-ahead outlook for business conditions fell to an eight-year low while hiring difficulties hit a 48-year high, a new report shows. The so-called optimism index edged up by 0.4 percentage points to 100.1 in August from July, according…

When you hear the word optimism, what comes to mind? Does it resonate as a tried-and-true life practice? Or perhaps it sounds too Pollyanna-ish for your taste. Essentially, optimism is hopefulness about the future—a general belief that things will work out in your favor. Whether you are a devoted practitioner or devout skeptic, you’ve likely…