At the monthly meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank kept its policy rate unchanged in a range between zero and 25 basis points. But it is clear we have entered the beginning of the end to the Fed’s emergency programs. … READ MORE >
Coronavirus
CHART OF THE DAY: Housing market stays steady despite headwinds
Housing starts rose 3.6% to 1.57 million in May while permits dipped 3% to 1.68 million, according to Commerce Department data released on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Retail sales cool as stimulus boost wears off
After two months of growth in retail sales fueled in part by stimulus payments, retail sales cooled off in May, falling 1.3% and missing analyst estimates of a 0.8% gain. … READ MORE >
FOMC preview: Growth and inflation and tapering, oh my!
The Federal Open Market Committee will leave its policy rate unchanged at its meeting this week, but that decision will mask an underlying shift in its economic projections and policies. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: U.S. household net worth surges, but the gains are uneven
The net worth of U.S. households in the first quarter increased by nearly $5 trillion, or 3.8%, from the previous quarter to a record of $136.9 trillion. On an annual basis, that gain was $25.5 trillion, or 22.9%. But not all households benefited equally. … READ MORE >
What’s behind the recent decline in 10-year Treasury yields
The yield on 10-year Treasury bonds has dropped nearly 25 basis points to below 1.5%, touching 1.42% overnight on June 11 from its recent peak of 1.74% on March 31. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Initial jobless claims continue downward trend
Initial jobless claims continued to decelerate for the sixth straight week as the labor market slowly normalizes, according to government data released Thursday. … READ MORE >
May CPI: Prices surge on strong base effects and economic reopening
We do not expect that these price increases will ease until the fall, when we expect that inflation will peak at just under 5% on a quarterly basis and then begin to ease back toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% target over the next year. … READ MORE >
RSM Canada Financial Conditions Index: Accommodation to continue while economy recovers
The Bank of Canada reiterated its intention to maintain an accommodative monetary policy stance as the economy continues to recover and financial conditions remain one standard deviation above neutral. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: April JOLTS data shows tightening in the labor market, but it’s nothing new
The federal government’s job openings and labor turnover data for April, also known as JOLTS, implies that while the labor market has tightened, this is nothing new. … READ MORE >