The successful release of one or more vaccines presents society with the issue of who gets vaccinated first and then the succeeding phases of distribution. This will challenge our society to the core. Recent difficult conversations around race and economic inequality boil just beneath the surface ... READ MORE >
coronavirus
November jobs preview: Employment-to-population ratio and the likelihood of a double-dip recession
Economic growth likely slowed in November because of the significant breakout of COVID-19 throughout the country. As such, we expect that improvement in the labor market will continue to slow to near 370,000 jobs on the month with the unemployment rate falling to 6.8% when the Labor Department releases ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Increase in productivity can’t mask need for long-term miracle
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released third-quarter productivity data that reinforced our view that a recovery from the depths of the economic shutdown is indeed underway. Still, these are unusual times, and the untethered increases in quarterly data can mask underlying issues that are yet ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Dealmaking in the cybersecurity sector continues its strong year
Even in a volatile economic year, dealmaking in the cybersecurity sector continues to be robust. One of the largest cybersecurity deals this year involved RSA Security, which was carved out of Dell EMC at a transaction price of $2 billion. More recently, SentinelOne raised $267 million in its Series F ... READ MORE >
Pre-holiday data deluge: A November to remember
A series of economic reports released on Wednesday captured the cross currents in the American economy: Jobless claims increase First-time jobless claims rose for the second consecutive week, with the top line increasing to 778,000 for the week ending Nov. 21, up from 742,000 previously, according to ... READ MORE >
RSM U.K. Financial Conditions Index: Adjusting expectations after double-dosed shocks
The news that Oxford/AstraZeneca has created a vaccine that is potentially 62% effective with two full doses and 90% effective if a person gets a half a dose followed by a full dose is a much-needed boost for a beleaguered U.K. economy. This will bolster U.K. financial conditions and economic prospects ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: In the video game industry, it’s the most wonderful time
The arrival of the holiday shopping season has buoyed the hopes of retailers catering to a younger crowd, even as coronavirus cases continue to rise. This is especially the case with video games. The Entertainment Software Association, in a survey, found that 38% of people age 18 to 34 play video games ... READ MORE >
Coronavirus update: The beginning of the end
The number of potential coronavirus vaccines has increased to three with Oxford/AstraZeneca announcing on Monday that that their technology is potentially 62% effective with two full doses and 90% effective if one gets a half a dose followed by a full dose. Moreover, the vaccine requires ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Household debt increases as consumers resume borrowing
Consumers resumed borrowing after a pullback in the second quarter during the onset of the pandemic, according to the New York Federal Reserve’s third-quarter report on household debt and credit balances. The net increase of $87 billion in total household debt outstanding was driven primarily by growth ... READ MORE >
Anticipating a flood of personal and commercial bankruptcies in 2021
The roughly $3 trillion in pandemic aid pumped into the economy in the spring worked to such an extent that it most likely prevented an increase in personal and commercial bankruptcies. But that is likely to change as the long shadow of the economic shock causes firms and individuals to turn to the courts ... READ MORE >