The goods trade deficit set another record low in September at $96.3 billion as American demand remained strong, according to the Census Bureau advance report released Wednesday. The imbalance between the recovery rates in the United States and in other countries remained a heavy drag on the trade of ... READ MORE >
coronavirus
Bank of Canada talks like a hawk and walks like a dove as it keeps rates steady
The emerging trend of central banks talking like hawks and walking like doves amid supply chain disruptions and persistent inflation continued as the Bank of Canada kept its policy rate at 0.25% on Wednesday. The central bank signaled that it intends to end its quantitative easing program and move ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Signs of strength in durable goods orders
Durable goods orders fell by 0.4% in September after a strong gain of 1.3% in August, driven by transportation orders—vehicles and nondefense aircrafts—which declined by 2.3% on the month, according to Commerce Department data released Wednesday. But even with this decline in transportation orders, ... READ MORE >
The new RSM US Financial Conditions Index shows a favorable investment climate
Financial conditions in the United States continue to be highly favorable for investment despite the recent rise in some asset classes, according to a new measure from RSM US. With the Federal Reserve maintaining its low interest rate policy to encourage economic activity, the risk being priced ... READ MORE >
New home sales highest since March
New home sales increased by 14% in September to 800,000, the highest since March, indicating that strong demand for new houses continued to drive the market, according to Commerce Department data released on Tuesday. This was the biggest one-month percentage increase since July 2020, as the change in ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Rising consumer confidence
Consumer confidence increased in October, snapping a three-month decline, as concerns about the delta variant subsided. The headline Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.8, up from 109.8 in September, as consumers expressed a more buoyant view of the economy, according to Conference Board data ... READ MORE >
GDP preview: Look for 2.9% growth in third quarter
Economic growth in the third quarter will capture the impact of the delta variant on the economy as disruptions to supply chains and rising inflation have dampened household consumption and fixed investment by businesses. We expect that U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter will arrive at ... READ MORE >
Federal contractor vaccine mandate: Task force guidance
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force on Sept. 24 issued highly anticipated guidance regarding federal contractor COVID-19 safety protocols, meeting the deadline President Biden set in his Sept. 9 executive order mandating vaccinations for federal contractors. The executive order introduced a contract ... READ MORE >
Inflation in Canada persists amid shortages
Inflation is proving to be persistent in Canada, with the Consumer Price Index increasing at an annual pace of 4.4% in September amid shortages of workers and supplies. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, the index rose by a more moderate 3.3% on a year-over-year basis, but it was ... READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. housing starts and permits slowed amid shortages
Housing starts and permits stayed below expectations in September, signaling a supply slowdown because of shortages of materials and labor. The headline figure for housing starts fell by 1.6% on the month to 1.555 million units annualized because of a drop in multifamily units while single-family ... READ MORE >