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Manufacturing in the U.S. expanded in November at a faster pace than projected, signaling the world’s largest economy is rising above a global slowdown.

Even after doling out discounts on electronics and clothes, retailers struggled to entice shoppers to Black Friday sales events, putting pressure on the industry as it heads into the final weeks of the holiday season.

West Texas Intermediate crude rebounded after sliding to the lowest level since July 2009 on speculation that prices have further to drop before OPEC’s decision to maintain output slows U.S. shale supply.

Consumer confidence climbed to a more than seven-year high in November as Americans’ views of their financial well-being improved heading into the holiday-shopping season.

Orders for durable goods rose 0.4% in October, mainly on a jump in demand for military aircraft, the U.S. Commerce Department said Nov. 26.

Consumer spending in the United States climbed in October at the same pace as incomes, showing households are staying within their means as the holiday-shopping season begins.

The average price of regular gasoline at U.S. pumps slid to the lowest level since Nov. 5, 2010, dropping 10 cents in the two weeks ended Nov. 21 to $2.84 a gallon, according to Lundberg Survey Inc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency punted on setting quotas for the use of renewable fuels in 2014 and pledged to lay out next year targets for 2014-2016.