This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (August 22, 2019).

Washington policy makers and Wall Street investors are being confronted with a scenario in which there are few good options for dealing with an economic downturn should one occur.

Federal deficits are projected to grow much more than expected over the next decade after a budget agreement struck last month.

Strict mortgage-lending requirements put in place after the financial crisis are starting to erode.

Existing-home sales rose 2.5% in July, a sign lower mortgage rates may have started to spur buying.

Retailers offering deals are snaring customers at the expense of chains that have been slow to innovate.

U.S. stocks rose as strong earnings reports from retailers eased some growth fears. The Dow gained 0.9%.

Alibaba has postponed plans for a share listing in Hong Kong due to market instability and political uncertainty in the city.

Details about the U.S. sanctions-busting case against Huawei emerged in Canada court filings.

The SEC voted 3-2 to urge proxy advisers to take more steps to disclose how they craft shareholder recommendations.

The Trump administration is preparing to soon release it plan to return Fannie and Freddie to private-shareholder ownership.

Germany sold 30-year debt at a negative yield for the first time.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 22, 2019 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)