National Business

WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence fell to a reading of 96.1 in November as rising coronavirus cases pushed American optimism down to the lowest level since August.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says a preliminary estimate shows manufacturing sales rose 0.6 per cent in October. The agency says the growth came due to higher sales in the petroleum and coal products, paper, primary metals and wood products industries.

TORONTO — Loral Space & Communications Inc. has signed a deal with the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Telesat Canada to combine Loral and Telesat into a new public company. Loral, which also announced a special dividend of $1.

WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices jumped in September as strong demand, low interest rates and the smallest number of available homes on record combined to push up housing costs.

WASHINGTON — Janet Yellen is in line for another top economic policy job — just in time to confront yet another crisis.

TORONTO — Long before the first snowflake has hit the ground in Toronto, Catherine Choi is already planning for the holiday season. It's the busiest sales period for her trio of Hanji Gift shops, but this time, they'll be closed.

CALGARY — Suncor Energy Inc. says it has agreed to become the operator of the Syncrude project by the end of 2021, as long as each of the joint venture's owners grants formal approval. Suncor owns a 58.

WENCHANG, China — China launched an ambitious mission on Tuesday to bring back rocks and debris from the moon’s surface for the first time in more than 40 years — an undertaking that could boost human understanding of the moon and of the solar system

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (17,094.53, up 75.43 points) Suncor Energy Inc. (TSX:SU). Energy. Up $1.75, or 8.68 per cent, at $21.92 on 19.79 million shares.

DETROIT — General Motors is switching sides in the legal fight against California's right to set its own clean-air standards, abandoning the Trump administration as the president's term nears its close.