The service sector continued to grow in February for the 14th straight month, according to the Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday. While the overall service index pointed to a slightly slower February, falling to 52.6 from 53.4, the subindexes for business activity and new orders registered ... READ MORE >
Search Results for: inflation
Canadian economy grew by 1%, ending 2023 on a positive note
The Canadian economy seems to have bottomed out and be on the rebound, growing by 0.2% in the fourth quarter of last year and by 1% on an annualized basis, exceeding expectations. The growth gives the Bank of Canada time to see more sustained evidence of inflation moderation before cutting rates. ... READ MORE >
How real is the wealth effect in a bull market?
Despite what you might read or hear, the stock market is not the economy. But that does not mean you should ignore the effect that the stock market has on household income and spending, the labor market, overall financial conditions and economic growth. A 2021 paper in the American Economic Review ... READ MORE >
Softer economic data reaffirms prospect of a soft landing
The Federal Reserve's restrictive monetary stance showed that it continues to affect the economy in the first two months of the year. In other words, the Fed is getting closer to its goal of achieving a soft landing when the economy cools back down to a sustainable level of growth with inflation under ... READ MORE >
What would Keynes do? Russian assets and funding the war in Ukraine
August 1914: a global financial crisis caused by the outbreak of World War I resulted in the Bank of England’s losing two-thirds of its gold reserves in less than a week, placing at risk London’s pre-eminence as the center of global finance. To prevent a financial collapse, the U.K. government ... READ MORE >
New home sales grew more slowly in January amid elevated mortgage rates
Sales of new homes grew by 1.5% in January, much slower than the 7.2% increase in December, most likely because of elevated mortgage rates. January's sales were also lower than estimated while December's increase was revised down from the 8% increase reported earlier by the Census Bureau. Slower sales ... READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims fall to lowest in a month
Initial claims for unemployment insurance have once again defied expectations this year, continuing to signal a tight labor market that benefits workers. New claims fell by 12,000 to 201,000 for the week ending Feb. 17, according to the Labor Department's data on Thursday. With the exception of a ... READ MORE >
Solow Residual: Total factor productivity and the U.S. economy
For decades, the productivity of American workers seemed stuck. No matter how hard people worked, or how much was invested, productivity, except for a few years, never seemed to move much. That may be changing. Last year, American productivity improved by 2.7%, and gained steam in the second half ... READ MORE >
5 things to know in life sciences: Week of Feb. 12, 2024
Each week we highlight five things affecting the life sciences industry. Here's the latest. Global health care’s push for climate resilience Following NHS England's 2020 commitment to net zero emissions by 2045, over 20 countries are adopting similar goals, aiming to create climate-resilient health ... READ MORE >
U.S. retail sales fall in January as holiday hangover sets in
In a break from recent years, American consumers began the year on a weak note as retail sales dropped by 0.8% on a monthly basis in January, according to Census Bureau data released on Thursday. That drop was the first time since 2018 that sales at retail stores, online and food service places ... READ MORE >