The RSM Brexit Stress Index eased this week, as global equity markets pushed higher on news of a rapprochement among the parties in the U.S.-China trade war and anticipation of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. … READ MORE >
June US employment preview–slower pace of growth expected for Q2
We expect the labor market will reflect a slower pace of growth through the second quarter, resulting in a below-consensus estimate (165,000) net increase in total employment of 147,000 jobs and an increase in the unemployment rate to 3.7%. In our estimation, the primary narrative emerging from the June report will be sustained deceleration of hiring in the household survey… … READ MORE >
The RSM Brexit Stress Index: Lower highs and lower lows
The RSM Brexit Stress Index closed slightly higher this week, as political talk centers on whether Boris Johnson, the Conservative Party front runner favored to take over as U.K. Prime Minister, can make good on his promise of removing Britain from the European Union with or without a deal. … READ MORE >
Calculating the likelihood of recession–RSM partners with UCLA Anderson Forecast
RSM recently entered into a strategic partnership with the UCLA Anderson Forecast, a longstanding and well-respected barometer of the economies of California and the United States issued by UCLA Anderson School of Management, based on GDP data and other economic indicators. … READ MORE >
The RSM Brexit Stress Index: A respite, but for how long?
The RSM Brexit Stress Index closed lower for the third week in a row, as the British economy contends with an uncertain political future nearly a month after Prime Minister Theresa May’s announced resignation. The composite index—which measures economic stress surrounding Britain’s pending departure from the European Union—moderated to 0.23 on Friday from 0.24 a week earlier. … READ MORE >
Fed loses patience, sets tone for potential rate cuts
The Federal Reserve set the predicate for a shift in policy to an accommodative stance later this year by revising downward its forecast on inflation and its estimate on the path of rate policy. … READ MORE >
Business decisions at the end of economic expansions
The U.S. economy is signaling that the decade-long business cycle upswing following the global financial crisis and the Great Recession is nearing – or might have already reached – its apogee. This should be recognized as neither good news, nor a surprising development, given the proliferation of risks to the outlook. It’s safe to say that inertia is almost always a factor when forecasting economic cycles and when making investment decisions based on those expectations. … READ MORE >
Wage growth and the end of business cycles
“It’s likely that wage growth has peaked in the current business cycle,” writes RSM Chief Economist Joe Brusuelas, “which strongly suggests that the U.S. economy has entered the latter stages of the economic expansion.” … READ MORE >
FOMC preview: Fed positions for rate cut later this year
The Federal Reserve is on the precipice of a major shift in policy as the economy, hiring and wages slow amid a backdrop of muted inflation. … READ MORE >
The RSM Brexit Stress Index–Assessing the political damage
The RSM Brexit Stress Index closed lower for the second week in a row, following the resignation of Prime Minster Theresa May last month and an uncertain political future for the U.K. The composite index—which measures economic uncertainty surrounding Britain’s departure from the European Union—moderated to 0.24 on Friday from 0.40 at the end of last week … READ MORE >