The Conference Board’s headline consumer confidence index rose by 3.9 points to 115.8 on the month, the largest increase in three months and the highest since July, according to data from the Conference Board on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
pandemic
Chart of the day: Supply chain issues ease as demand-pull inflation rises
Estimates of logistics data in the RSM US Supply Chain Index, as seen in the index’s Nowcast, point to improved conditions in the U.S. supply chain heading into the end of the year. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims remain below pre-pandemic level despite seasonal volatility
New filings for jobless benefits last week advanced to 206,000, remaining below the pre-pandemic level in 2019, after falling to a 52-year low the week before. … READ MORE >
FOMC meeting: Setting the stage for three rate hikes in 2022
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday set the stage for multiple increases in the federal funds policy rate next year by accelerating the tapering of asset purchases to $30 billion per month, up from $15 billion. The tapering should be wrapped up by March. … READ MORE >
Five things that retail sales tell us about holiday shopping
Navigating the strong headwinds from the pandemic has not been easy for retailers this holiday season, but here are five things we have learned about their response as reflected in the November retail sales data released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
Canada inflation steady at 4.7% amid high gasoline and food prices
Canada’s inflation in November remained at 4.7% on an annual basis, primarily because of increasing prices for gasoline, food and shelter, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. … READ MORE >
U.S. November retail sales: Consumer spending moderates
The American consumer has held up remarkably well during the recent surge in inflation. But that was not the case in November as the pace of spending moderated to an 0.3% increase, which is likely because of an adjustment to rising prices. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Consumer sentiment improves slightly amid inflation
The headline consumer sentiment index rose to 70.4 on the month from 67.4 previously, and only 0.1 higher than August when the delta variant’s surge hit the United States. … READ MORE >
U.S. Consumer Price Index: Inflation broadens out as shelter costs rise by 4.8%
The overall Consumer Price Index climbed by 6.8% on a year-ago basis in November, and by 0.8% on the month as inflation continued to broaden out. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims fall to 52-year low amid labor shortages
Initial claims for jobless benefits fell to 184,000 for the week ending Dec. 4, down from 227,000 in the previous week, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday. … READ MORE >