July sales were much lower than expected, dropping by 2.2% on the month compared to a forecasted decline of only 0.2% earlier. … READ MORE >
Economics
Industrial production and housing rebound in July, affirming GDP growth outlook
Industrial production, housing starts and permits rebounded in July, affirming RSM’s third-quarter GDP growth outlook. … 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 >
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 >
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 >
Canada’s job market slows as unemployment rate hits 5.5%
Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 5.5%, the third consecutive increase for the first time since March 2020, the onset of the pandemic. … READ MORE >
U.S. July jobs report: Gradual and orderly cooling in the labor market
The 187,000 net change in total employment and a 3.5% unemployment rate in July show cooling demand by firms as the economy grows near its 1.8% long-term trend. … READ MORE >