InvestmentsTop Global NewsMarketsReal Estate US business activity picks up in October: IHS Markit By financialnews_rlv83x - October 23, 2020 0 94 U.S. business activity increased to a 20-month high in October, but the pace of new business growth and new orders eased slightly amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and caution ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.