As was widely expected, the Fed officially cut the short-term rate policy by a quarter point, so their rates are back to the range we had last August before the September 2018 increase. Citing global developments and muted inflation pressures, the Fed decided to cut rates even though there was dissension in the vote with … Continued
Brent crude futures increased 15% yesterday, which was one of the largest single-day jumps in history. The decline in Saudi production due to the Saturday attack on one of the world’s largest oil processing facilities amounts to an estimated 5% of the world’s oil supply. In the U.S., gas prices increased yesterday, but only $0.03 or … Continued
The stock market kept its winning streak going for a third straight week, and again it was mainly related to rising hopes of progress with U.S.-China trade talks. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank beat the U.S. Fed to the rate-reduction punch by lowering its official rate by 10 basis point in the EU – it is now down … Continued
The stock market kept its winning streak alive with gains for a second week, mainly as a result of optimism about progress with U.S.-China trade talks since a meeting is being planned to continue negotiations in October. The market seemed to shrug off the actual implementation of new tariffs by both the U.S. and China … Continued
Second quarter real growth in GDP was revised down to 2% from the 2.1% originally reported, but consumer spending was revised higher. Consumer spending: The consumer was also alive and well and spending in July before trade-induced market anxieties and yield curve inversions took center stage in August. New and existing home sales were stronger in … Continued
UPDATE (09/03/19): After reaching Category 5 strength over the weekend and severely impacting parts of the Bahamas, forecasts now predict Hurricane Dorian will steer in a more northern direction and not directly hit Florida. By staying off-shore and following the coastline, Hurricane Dorian is not expected to impact the auto industry when it comes to damages … Continued
Last week was a light one for new economic data, but the news on home sales this summer looks encouraging with the pace of sales finally seeing gains year over year as a result of lower mortgage rates. U.S.-China trade: The problem for last week was additional actions taken by China and threats from the U.S. … Continued
Last week was a week filled with new economic data and financial market volatility. More than half of the week’s new data point to continued strength and even promising improving trends supportive of growth in the U.S. economy. The other half raises concern. Retail sales strong: Retail sales were strong in July, as Amazon Prime Day … Continued
It was a relatively quiet week for new economic data but featured plenty of stock market volatility amidst continued trade war drama. Consumer credit growth slows: Consumer credit growth is slowing as credit card borrowing is declining and auto lending is slowing down. A decline in credit card balances signals that consumers are starting to pull … Continued
Job growth is slowing as the underemployment rate declines to near historic lows, but job creation in July was exactly in line with the average monthly creation this year and what was expected. Wages are growing again, but hours worked are falling, limiting the positive impact for consumers. Fed cuts rates: The Fed cut rates last … Continued