Caterpillar Inc., the world's largest construction and mining-equipment maker, last month announced higher-than- expected third-quarter profit and sales, reinforcing forecasts that exports and capital spending will help the U.S. maintain its economic expansion.
While the European debt crisis and the level of U.S. growth are concerns, they don't "signal the onset of recession," Caterpillar said in a statement.
The housing market may be starting to thaw. The National Association of Realtors today said its index of pending home sales increased 10.4 percent, the most since November 2010, after falling 4.6 percent the previous months.