According to the University of Michigan’s survey in November, the sentiment index increased to 73 from 70.5 with expectations leading the increase. … READ MORE >
Consumer confidence strengthens despite cooling labor demand
Job openings fell to 7.4 million, the fewest since 2021, from 7.86 million, while hirings rose to 5.56 million from 5.4 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. … READ MORE >
Business spending on equipment falls in September, but orders pick up
Durable goods orders fell in September for the second month in a row, driven largely by drops in Boeing orders. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims fall despite hurricane’s impact
Total initial claims dropped to 227,000 from 242,000 for the week ending Oct. 18, the Labor Department reported on Thursday. … READ MORE >
Housing starts and permits ease in September
September’s housing starts came in at 1.35 million, down 0.5% from August, while building permits, a proxy for future projects, fell 2.9% to 1.4 million. … READ MORE >
September retail sales top forecasts
Retail sales for all items increased by 0.4% while the control group grew by 0.7% in September. … READ MORE >
Producer price index implies further disinflation
The lower-than-expected producer inflation report released on Friday should offset some of the upside surprises from the consumer inflation data released on Thursday. … READ MORE >
When money has a price: How the higher cost of capital is affecting America’s real economy
Business models built around zero interest rates—and services firms with exposure to those businesses—are adapting to the return of a positive term premium in the price of money. … READ MORE >
October surprise: U.S. economy added 254,000 jobs in September as unemployment fell to 4.1%
The jobs data released Friday strongly suggests that the Fed will cut by 25 basis points on Nov. 7 at its next meeting. … READ MORE >
Service sector showed fastest growth in nearly two years
The Institute for Supply Management’s service sector index grew to 54.9 in September from 51.5 in August. … READ MORE >