The daily business briefing: September 13, 2019

U.S. stock indexes approach records, Old Navy announces plans to open 800 new stores, and more

An Old Navy logo
(Image credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

1. U.S. stock futures rise as Dow, S&P approach records

U.S. stock index futures edged higher early Friday, putting the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 within striking distance of all-time highs. The Dow was up by 0.2 percent, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rose by 0.3 percent. Markets are getting a lift from positive signs ahead of October talks between the U.S. and China on ending their trade war. On Thursday, the U.S. welcomed Beijing's decision to resume purchases of U.S. farm goods. A day earlier, President Trump said he would delay increasing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15 in a "gesture of goodwill." Trump also said he would consider an interim trade deal, although he would prefer a full agreement.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.