Highlights: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Consumer Spending The GDP growth in the second quarter was revised up to 3.0% annualized from the initially estimated 2.8%. Personal Consumption The Personal Consumption Expenditure Index (PCE), the key gauge of inflation that the Fed follows, increased 0.2% in July, as expected, after increasing just 0.1% in June. … Continued
Highlights: Fed’s Rate Cut Anticipation Last week was a big week for gathering further insights into the Fed’s likely course of action in its next decision on monetary policy on Sept. 18. The notes from the July meeting were released, which indicated that the committee had already been leaning towards easing at the next meeting, … Continued
Cox Automotive’s Auto Market Report video delivers a comprehensive analysis of the current automotive market. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. This video covers a wide range of topics, including consumer spending patterns, consumer sentiment, retail vehicle sales, financing rates, supply dynamics, pricing trends and leading … Continued
Highlights: Headline Inflation and Core CPI The July CPI report affirmed continued declines in year-over-year inflation to the lowest level since March 2021. Shelter drove 90% of the July monthly increase, and without shelter, inflation is under the Fed’s target. Furthermore, shelter is not going to improve with rates in restrictive territory as new construction … Continued
Highlights: New-Vehicle Average Transaction Pricing Despite slight variations, the average transaction price of a new vehicle remained statistically unchanged from June at approximately $48,401. This reflects a minor dip of 0.2% year over year, but overall, an impressive increase of 24.6% since July 2019. Incentives from manufacturers are also on the rise, gaining 9.1% in … Continued
Cox Automotive’s Auto Market Report video delivers a comprehensive analysis of the current automotive market. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. This video covers a wide range of topics, including consumer spending patterns, consumer sentiment, retail vehicle sales, financing rates, supply dynamics, pricing trends and leading … Continued
Highlights: A Closer Look at the Job Market The job market in July saw a significant slowdown in growth. There were 114,000 new jobs created, far short of the anticipated 175,000. This resulted in an increase in the underemployment rate, the broadest measure of unemployment, which rose to 7.8%. This is 0.8 percentage points higher … Continued
The Fed left interest rates and overall monetary policy unchanged today. We have now had eight straight meetings with no change in rate policy, and this level of restrictive rates has been in place for a full year. The Fed remains focused on achieving a 2% target on core PCE. It was 2.6% in June. … Continued
Highlights: GDP, Personal Income and Spending. The second quarter saw an encouraging upswing in real GDP growth, rising to 2.8% annualized from 1.4% in the prior quarter. This acceleration came from robust private domestic investment and government spending. On the downside, net exports dragged on growth as import growth outpaced export growth. Consumer Spending and … Continued
Cox Automotive’s Auto Market Report video delivers a comprehensive analysis of the current automotive market. Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke leads our effort to translate data and trends into actionable insights. This video covers a wide range of topics, including consumer spending patterns, consumer sentiment, retail vehicle sales, financing rates, supply dynamics, pricing trends and leading … Continued