First-time jobless claims declined to 547,000 for the week ending April 17 from 586,000 the week before and are well below the 4.2 million posted one year ago, according to government data released Thursday. … READ MORE >
Globalization and the failure of the Super League
The collapse of the European Super League on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after it was announced, should provide a valuable lesson for those who support the movement of ideas, capital and people across borders to expand opportunity and prosperity. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: The strengthening dollar as the recovery takes hold
We expect the real effective exchange rate of the greenback to advance in value against a trade-weighted basket of currencies as growth and interest rate differentials drive capital flows into the U.S. this year. … READ MORE >
Bank of Canada policy decision: Tapering bond purchases by $3 billion a week
An improved economic outlook and growing confidence among central bankers have created the conditions in which the Bank of Canada is now comfortable paring back the pace of bond purchases by $3 billion per week. … READ MORE >
American peak growth? Here is some much-needed context
One of the stories driving conversation today in financial markets, especially among fixed-income participants, is the idea that U.S. growth has peaked and that is why bond yields have declined recently. This discussion needs some context. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: A resurgent pandemic in Canada
More than 8,760 new cases are being reported each day as this latest surge of infections closes in on the levels of the post-holiday second wave. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Southern California seaports processing record number of imports
The Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports are processing an extraordinary number of import containers. Although the three months after the holidays are generally the quietest of the year, this first quarter broke records and that activity points to the tip of the global economic recovery. … READ MORE >
How pandemic savings might have saved the day
The mix of savings, pent-up demand for services and what we think will be an increase in productivity-enhancing investments by businesses will provide a multiyear period of above-trend growth. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims: Large decline as workers return
First-time jobless claims declined to 576,000 for the week ending April 10, which is the lowest since March 2020 as individuals begin streaming back into the labor force and the economy begins to reopen on the back of vaccinations and fiscal aid. … READ MORE >
Robust rebound in March retail sales
The combined impact of a weather-related resumption of household spending and $680 billion in fiscal aid checks working their way through the economy stimulated a robust 9.8% rebound in top-line March retail sales. … READ MORE >