Consumer sentiment rose in January to 78.8 from 69.7, much higher than the median consensus forecast of 70.1. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims and housing starts post upside surprises
Filings for jobless benefits fell last week to the lowest level in 16 months, a testament for how resilient the labor market continues to be. … READ MORE >
Retail sales and industrial production point to a strong end of the year
Retail sales blowing past expectations while industrial production volume stayed solid, according to government data released Wednesday. … READ MORE >
Consumer confidence ends the year on a positive note
The increase in confidence was broad-based in December, with the overall index rising to 110.7 from 101. … READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales grew by more than expected in November
Sales increased by 0.3% on the month or by 5.9% on a three-month moving average annualized pace. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims remain resilient
Initial jobless claims inched up slightly to 220,000 last week, remaining within the pre-pandemic level, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. … READ MORE >
Job openings fall to lowest level since 2021, signaling Fed pivot
With 8.7 million job openings in October, the vacancies-to-unemployed ratio has fallen to 1.34, only slightly higher than the pre-pandemic average of around 1.24 … READ MORE >
U.S. economic outlook: Expansion continues into 2024
Expect the economy to settle into its long-term growth rate of around 1.8% next year. Read our forecasts for growth, inflation, unemployment, the dollar, interest rates and fiscal policy. … READ MORE >
Manufacturing sector in U.S. contracts in November
The manufacturing sector contracted for the second month in a row in November as lower overall demand and persistent labor shortages took their toll, the Institute for Supply Management reported on Friday. … READ MORE >
Inflation slows again, pointing to another rate pause
The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation metric, was unchanged on the month, while the core measure rose by 0.2%. … READ MORE >









