Cigarette maker Reynolds American's fourth-quarter profit shot up 89 percent compared to the final quarter of 2014, when earnings fell due to pension charges and other costs.
Lately the bumps for an industry that's brought wealth and jobs to this town are getting bigger -- bankruptcies of major producers, pollution rules that have made burning coal more expensive and the decline of a once-promising export market.
Americans are expected to spend at a slower pace than last year during the crucial winter holidays, weighed down by sluggish wage growth and other factors, according to the nation's largest retail industry trade group.
Many Americans take advantage of the sales that take place on Black Friday, and get most of their holiday shopping done. Each year, the sales seem to be starting earlier and earlier.
Employers feel more confident in the direction the state is heading, according to findings of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association's 2013 business outlook survey.