The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index rose to 69 in the first half of September, up from 67.9 earlier. … READ MORE >
Producer inflation and initial jobless claims stabilize further
While the producer price index came out slightly higher than forecasted at 0.3% on the month and 1.7% on a year-ago basis, it remained on a moderating trend with July’s number being revised down. … READ MORE >
Job openings fall amid imminent rate cuts
With job openings falling back to normal and the labor supply increasing, the labor market was in balance in July. … READ MORE >
Manufacturing sector declines at a slightly slower rate in August
A result of the slowdown was another month of employment declines, though at a slower pace at 46 compared to 43.4 in the prior month. … READ MORE >
Second quarter GDP is revised higher amid stronger consumer spending
With price stability essentially achieved, a well-performing labor market should continue to be a significant tailwind for growth, especially for consumer spending, in the last two quarters of the year. … READ MORE >
Demand for business spending on equipment falls in July
Core capital goods orders, which exclude aircraft and defense spending, posted a 0.1% decline in July. … READ MORE >
Jobless claims stabilize amid concerns over weak job gains
Initial claims last week rose by only 4,000, to 232,000, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Similarly, continuing claims for the week ending Aug. 8 increased by 4,000, to 1.863 million. … READ MORE >
Consumer sentiment rebounds in August
Consumer sentiment rose for the first time in five months, according to the University of Michigan’s survey in August. … READ MORE >
Robust July retail sales defy growth scare
While the robust July retail sales numbers might come as a surprise given the various pressures on American consumers, the data was very well in line with our forecasts. … READ MORE >
Producer prices grow slower than expected, adding evidence to support rate cut
Key inflation metrics reflect a more-than-tolerable range of inflation that requires no further tightening of monetary policy. … READ MORE >