The Federal Reserve’s rate hikes are starting to pull down growth just as a period of tighter lending will probably cool the economy further over the next few months. … READ MORE >
Inflation
Canadian inflation fell to lowest since August 2021
Canada’s inflation rate dropped to 4.3% in March on an annual basis from 5.4% in the prior month, driven largely by comparisons to the surging energy and food prices of a year ago. … READ MORE >
Lower-than-expected retail sales raise recession probability
Retail sales dropped for the second month in a row in March as demand for goods and food services continued to ease, suggesting the end of the business cycle. … READ MORE >
March inflation data points to a Fed rate peak in May
The inflation outlook improved in March because of a mix of year-over-year base effects and a significant decline in energy prices, all of which caused the top-line reading to decline to 5% from 6% previously. … READ MORE >
What the surprise oil production cut by OPEC+ means
Oil markets are reeling after OPEC+ said in a surprise announcement on Sunday that it would cut up to 1.15 million barrels a day in its target production starting next month. … READ MORE >
Fed’s key gauges of inflation soften in February
Prices grew by 0.3% on the month; for the core component, they rose by 0.3% while the “super core” stayed at 0.3%. … READ MORE >
Jobless claims inch up while revised GDP shows softer growth
New filings for jobless benefits inched up to 198,000 last week from 191,000 earlier, staying below the pre-pandemic level, while fourth-quarter gross domestic product was revised down slightly from a 2.7% increase to 2.6%. … READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Slowdown continues
According to the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index based on those surveys, manufacturing activity remains at 1.8 standard deviations below normal. … READ MORE >
The great deposit migration, moral hazard and a fragmented banking system
The recent financial shock has exposed the underlying problem in the banking sector: A flawed regulatory framework treats small and medium-size institutions unequally compared to their largest competitors. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims drop further
Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 1,000 to 191,000 last week, remaining below the pre-pandemic average and below expectations of a slight increase to 197,000. … READ MORE >