Manufacturing activity continues to lag improvements in the general economy. Surveys of manufacturing firms conducted by five regional Federal Reserve banks continue to show the negative impact of a tight monetary policy and the lagged effect of an aggressive fiscal policy. Manufacturing in ... READ MORE >
USA
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of May 27, 2024
Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here's the latest. FDA issues draft guidance on platform technology designation The Food and Drug Administration has released a draft guidance aimed at providing a framework for the designation of platform technologies, which ... READ MORE >
Spending cools more than expected as Fed contemplates rate cuts
American consumers pulled back in April as a sign of elevated interest rates weighing further on overall demand as fiscal spending from the pandemic wanes. The material slowdown of the labor market in April was also a key factor with income growth essentially unchanged on an inflation-adjusted ... READ MORE >
GDP and inflation grew slower than earlier estimates
Softer overall demand and inflation in the first quarter should be more of a relief for the Federal Reserve and the market rather than a concern. Most of the downward revision to gross domestic product data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday came from consumer spending, partly because of ... READ MORE >
Global central bank outlook: Reducing rates to bolster growth
After two years of major central banks raising interest rates, the weighted global policy rate stands at a restrictive 7.2%. But with disinflation having taken hold around the world, it is time for central banks to reduce these rates. Usually, the Federal Reserve would lead the way. But with private ... READ MORE >
Consumer inflation expectations moderate in May
The University of Michigan reported on Friday that consumer sentiment and inflation expectations improved in the second half of May. This may be welcome news after the Federal Reserve seemed less sure about whether interest rates were sufficiently restrictive or not. The effect of high interest rates ... READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of May 20, 2024
Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here's the latest. New collaboration explores AI-based digital pathology Microsoft is collaborating with researchers from the University of Washington as well as Providence health network to develop a new artificial ... READ MORE >
U.S. new home sales miss forecasts amid rising mortgage rates
New home sales fell below estimates in April as mortgage rates surged to above 7%. The data, released by the Census Bureau on Thursday, pointed to a disappointing month for housing sales, following the drop in April’s existing home sales released on Wednesday. The rebound in inflation in the first ... READ MORE >
Assessing central bank policy in the post-pandemic economy
Following two of the largest economic shocks of recent history, global central banks are approaching a critical juncture. Stagnant global growth amid a structural economic shift demand a policy response by central banks still attempting to restore price stability. This makes decisions on when to ... READ MORE >
Forecasts show softer April PCE inflation
Details from April’s consumer price index and producer price index reports this week implied a slightly softer month for the personal consumption expenditures index. We think the top-line PCE inflation will most likely come in at 0.25% for April, down from 0.30% in March, while the core index will slow ... READ MORE >