ECONOMY

Business Confidence Slides: Top executives of U.S. corporations are less confident about the economy than they have been since the Persian Gulf War, the Conference Board reported. The board’s measure of business confidence in the third quarter fell seven points, to 50, from the second quarter. Substantially fewer respondents than last time foresaw a pickup in the economy in the next six months: 29%, compared to 50% in the second quarter. Almost a third of the respondents fear conditions will get worse. Optimism faded in almost all sectors, the board said.