The recent levels of starts and permits do not suggest enough future supply to meet the growing demand of American households to keep home prices under control. … READ MORE >
Rising demand helps U.S. retail sales top forecasts
Retail sales topped forecasts in November, growing at a robust pace for the third month in a row. … READ MORE >
American household net worth sets record, bringing debt-to-asset ratio to 50-year low
The primary driver of this increase was rising equity prices, which added $2.8 trillion, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of significant growth. … READ MORE >
Inflation ticks up amid seasonal factors and strong growth
November marked the first month since April when overall CPI inflation grew by 0.3% monthly, or 3.7% annualized, well above the Fed’s 2% target. … READ MORE >
October job openings surge as labor market shows resilience
Total job openings in October rose to 7.74 million from 7.37 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Tuesday. … READ MORE >
Durable goods orders were mixed in October as Q3 GDP remained strong
Business spending on equipment was mixed in October, likely because of uncertainty over the direction of fiscal and monetary policies, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
U.S. consumer confidence improves to highest level in more than a year
Consumer confidence edged up in November to its highest level in more than a year, driven by improved sentiment about both the current economic situation and future expectations. … READ MORE >
Housing starts and permits fall in October as hurricanes take a toll
The total number of starts in October was 1.3 million, marking the 30th straight month of staying below our long-term sustainable level of 1.7 million. … READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales decelerated in October
The mixed results in the October report should not change the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will cut its policy rate in December. … READ MORE >
Falling jobless claims and firmer inflation point to slower rate cuts
It will most likely will take longer for the Fed to get to its destination of a 2.9% policy rate as it forecast in September. … READ MORE >