Price of gas in Maine rises 7.5 cents in the past week

Gas prices have risen 7.5 cents in Maine in the past week.

Gasoline price-monitoring website GasBuddy.com reports Monday that the average cost of a gallon of gas in Maine is $2.60.

Maine gas prices are 21.8 cents per gallon higher compared to a month ago, and about $1.13 lower per gallon than at this time last year.

The price per gallon in Maine 2 cents lower than the national average.

The Maine price is based on a survey of more than 1,200 gas stations.

Breaking a weak stretch, factory orders up in March

Orders to U.S. factories rose in March for the first time since last July, breaking a long stretch of weakness in manufacturing.

Orders increased 2.1 percent following seven monthly declines, the Commerce Department reported Monday. And in further good news, orders in a key category that tracks business investment plans eked out a 0.1 percent rise. It was the first advance in this category since last August.

Economists are hoping that U.S. manufacturing is beginning to emerge from a long soft patch, bolstered by stronger domestic demand that will offset ongoing weakness in exports.

Comcast makes gains in Internet subscribers

Just before its $45 billion deal with Time Warner Cable collapsed over regulators’ fears about a giant cable company’s control over the Web, Comcast was racking up more Internet customers.

For the first time, the country’s largest cable provider, which also owns NBCUniversal, has more Internet subscribers than cable subscribers, Comcast executive Neil Smit said during an earnings call Monday.

Broadband subscribers surpassed cable this quarter.

Market tops expectations, closes just short of record

The stock market closed just short of a record on Monday as investors assessed some positive earnings reports.

Cognizant Technology Solutions, a technology consulting business, was the biggest gainer in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index after it reported earnings that beat the expectations of Wall Street analysts and raised its outlook for earnings and sales for the year.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 6.20 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,114.49, within three points of its all-time high reached on April 24. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 46.34 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,070.40. The Nasdaq composite gained 11.54 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,016.93.