Last week was a big week of data as government agencies provided more delayed insights into December and last year’s fourth quarter. We also received new readings on consumer sentiment and tax refunds as well as initial sales reports on the February new vehicle market. The mixed-bag economy: The economy grew better than expected in … Continued

New data points last week did not reveal any significant changes to major trends. The number and amount of tax refunds and total returns continued their downward trend for the third consecutive week. Last week’s recap: The economy is experiencing uneven growth in sectors. Manufacturing is slowing down, but services is staying strong. Interest rates … Continued

Most data points suggest that the year has started off much weaker than last year began. On the positive side, lower energy prices are keeping inflation in check and boosting real wage gains, and consumer sentiment has partially rebounded so far in February. Last Week’s Recap: Consumers started pulling back on spending at the end of … Continued

While January is a tough month to judge exactly where the economy and vehicle sales will go for the full year, the month was rocky, and we do expect the year to be rocky as well. Last week’s recap: New- and used-vehicle sales were impacted by frigid temperatures in much of the country during the … Continued

Just as the federal government went back to work this week, most of the nation fell under the grip of a brutally cold polar vortex. January is often tough to judge economic trends due to weather, and this year is no exception. This year we also had to deal with the government shutdown impacting some … Continued

The government shutdown limited the amount of new economic data to review. With everyone back to work, we expect to see a flood of new data to review this week. Looking ahead: With the government back up and running, we expect to obtain missed data from the last three weeks along with January consumer confidence, … Continued

Now the longest in history and stretching beyond 30 days, the government shutdown is having a negative impact on consumer confidence and the economy. It also has hindered our ability to get a full read on the economy since some government-provided data is unavailable due to the shutdown. Looking ahead: We’ll watch for any sign that … Continued

The government shutdown and a major auto show are the focus of information and data gathering this week. Looking ahead: This week we’ll be monitoring news from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the events surrounding it. We will also review fresh data on new home construction and sales, retail sales, and … Continued

The auto market and the broader economy depend on a seasonal bump provided by the more than 100 million Americans who receive tax refunds each spring. This spring, however, could be very different. Due to last year’s tax reform, some consumers may be surprised to learn they are receiving no tax refund, a smaller one … Continued