National Business

John Shmuel knows firsthand what financial openness — and secrecy — can do. By the third date, his fiancee knew his income and savings. A year later they'd agreed to focus on saving for a condo before getting married.

WASHINGTON — There was a 5.2% jump in Americans signing contracts to buy homes in January from the previous month as lower mortgage rates and a solid economy are pushing up demand for housing.

CALGARY — The New Horizon Mall just north of Calgary says it will finally exceed 50 per cent retail tenant occupation nearly two years after opening thanks to the addition of a family entertainment centre called Sky Castle.

MILWAUKEE — An employee opened fire Wednesday at one of the nation's largest breweries in Milwaukee, killing five fellow workers before taking his own life, police said.

CALGARY — A judge has issued a stay of a court order that required the Alberta government to make an immediate decision on a proposed oilsands project near Fort McMurray. Prosper Petroleum Ltd.

NEW YORK — Lowe's Cos. on Wednesday reported weaker-than-expected sales for its fiscal fourth quarter and offered an annual forecast that came below Wall Street expectations.

Delta Air Lines is reducing flights to South Korea while Hawaiian Airlines will suspend them entirely, as airlines deal with growing concern about the spread of the new virus beyond China.

GATINEAU, Que. — Rogers chief executive Joe Natale and his team of executives made several attempts Wednesday to dispel a widely held view that this country's wireless services are overly high by world standards.

MONTREAL — WSP Global Inc. missed expectations as it capped 2019 with a weaker fourth quarter than in the previous year. The Montreal-based engineering consultant says its net income attributable to shareholders was $40.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index saw all of this year's gains wiped away Wednesday with a fourth day of triple-digit declines over concerns about the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 135.