Industrial production, housing starts and permits rebounded in July, affirming RSM’s third-quarter GDP growth outlook. … READ MORE >
Blog
July retail sales show upside surprise, helped by discounting and back-to-school events: RSM analyst perspective
Retail sales rose 0.7% in July from the prior month, beating analysts’ expectations for a 0.4% rise, likely driven by a series of July discount events at major retailers and the start of back-to-school shopping. The rise marked the fourth consecutive month of increases.
Stripping out spending on gas, food, autos and building materials, retail sales increased by 1.0%, double analysts’ expectations for a 0.5% increase, according to Commerce Department data released Tuesday. This control group is a key barometer for discretionary spending. … READ MORE >
Robust retail sales data in July raises Q3 GDP forecast
American consumers continued to show a robust spending appetite in July as sales from retail and food services came in much hotter than expected. … READ MORE >
Canadian inflation ticks up but underlying data may bode well for interest rates
Canada’s July inflation figures are a somber reminder that the road back to 2% will take time and patience. … READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of Aug. 7, 2023
From a new postpartum depression treatment to AI and drug discovery, here’s what’s happening in life sciences. … READ MORE >
Producer prices, consumer sentiment data show signs of more price stability
Together with Thursday’s data on the consumer price index, this indicates that the bar for another rate hike in September is getting higher. … READ MORE >
Near-target inflation fuels hope of soft landing for economy
Inflation stabilized further in July as the consumer price index data met expectations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.
The slight uptick in annual inflation to 3.2% from 3.0% could be dismissed due to the base year effect, as inflation has come down fast from a peak in June last year. … READ MORE >
Back-to-school outlook: Inventory levels point to sustained discounting strategies
Retailers will continue discounting through the back-to-school shopping season and beyond. … READ MORE >
Rates outlook: As economy enters glide path, bond market hedges its bets
Even as the economy shows positive trends like slowing inflation and a healthy labor market, the bond market is showing anxiety. … READ MORE >
Canadian economic outlook: Defying expectations
In our updated economic forecast, we have downgraded the probability of a recession in Canada over the next 12 months to 60%, from 75%. … READ MORE >