A more robust U.S. economy could lift 2014 profits and boost corporate spending, giving some comfort to investors worried about bloated stock prices. Faster economic growth should translate into better sales growth for the Standard & Poor's 500 index, and that has investors watching the coming fourth-quarter earnings reports to see if chief executives sound more optimistic - and if they plan on spending the gigantic pile of cash they are hoarding. Fourth-quarter growth looks like it is going to be mediocre, but an unusually high level of profit warnings for the quarter could set the stage for companies to beat ... (full story)