America’s Ski Resorts: Saved by the Snow

The early-March snowstorm that creamed the Eastern seaboard largely missed Vermont’s big skiing areas. But resort operators were delighted nevertheless, because the storm whetted the appetite of all those coastal skiers. The industry calls it the “backyard syndrome,” and it can either feed or starve the sport in a given year.

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How Financial Stocks Could Be the Market’s Bright Spot

Here’s a scary fact to add to today’s gloomy stock-market headlines: bank stocks might actually be providing a boost to the market, even as it tumbles to new lows. By at least one measure, financial firms are making the bad earnings caused by the economy look a bit rosier. Late last week, Goldman Sachs cut its earnings expectations for the stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500

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European markets close down

European markets closed lower Tuesday, following a global selling spree the day before. Europe’s major exchanges drifted up in morning trading but by the end of the day London’s FTSE 100 was down 3.1 percent, the CAC 40 lost 1 percent and Frankfurt’s Dax 30 sank 0.5 percent.

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China Goes on a Smart Shopping Spree

The world might be sinking into its worst recession in generations, but China is on a wild shopping spree. Sitting some $2 trillion of cash reserves, Beijing is taking advantage of the woes of others to cement its grip on new sources of commodities ranging from olive oil to crude oil —often at fire-sale prices. China’s growth rate may be slowing in concert with the world economy, but even at that slower rate, its economy continues to expand, requiring a steady increase in supplies of oil, copper, aluminum and other minerals.

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