Q2 GDP Blowout — at Least on the Headline Data
ThinkstockIt turns out that the first quarter drop of 2.9% in gross domestic product (GDP) was truly a blip, just like economists had been saying all along. What is more of a surprise is…
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Newest first · Page 290GDP vs. FOMC vs. Unemployment and Payrolls
Thinkstock24/7 Wall St. wanted to make an update for its readers about the dual importance of economic reports. It is unemployment that rules the roost in most months, but this week will be an…
Consumer Confidence Surges to Post-Recession High, Strong 2014 Outlook
ThinkstockThe Conference Board is out with its monthly reading of consumer confidence in the month of July. It posted its third consecutive gain, but perhaps the real news is that this is its highest…
FOMC Preview Ahead of GDP and Unemployment
ThinkstockTuesday marks the beginning of the July Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting of the Federal Reserve. This is a two-day meeting and the FOMC meeting announcement is slated for around 2:00 p.m. Eastern…
States Where People Have the Fewest Debt Problems
ThinkstockDebt, as measured by share of debt in collection, is less of a problem in states with low unemployment, in many cases. According to the Urban Institute, the national average of households with a…
Why GDP Could Trump Unemployment in Importance This Week
ThinkstockIn most months, the biggest single economic report is the Employment Situation report issued by the U.S. Department Labor on the first Friday of the month. That may not hold true this week. On…
U.S. Second-Quarter GDP Watch in the Week Ahead
ThinkstockWhile all eyes will be on the upcoming July unemployment and payrolls on Friday, August 1, the other big economic report during the week will of course be second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP). We would…
June Durable Goods Likely Saved Second-Quarter GDP
ThinkstockFriday’s report on durable goods was one we were paying close attention to. After all, this is the last major broad production and consumption number ahead of the first look at second-quarter gross domestic…
Why Durable Goods Matters So Much on Friday – GDP Watch
ThinkstockOn Friday we will get to see the report for Durable Goods for the month of June. This is an incredibly important report because it is for June, marking the end of the second…
An Astounding and Amazing Weekly Jobless Claims Report From the Labor Department
Ed Brown, via Wikimedia CommonsThe U.S. Labor Department’s report on weekly jobless claims blew the doors off the hinges. After last week’s reading was revised to 303,000 from 302,000, the number came in at…
Moody’s Cuts Atlantic City to Junk
ThinkstockAtlantic City, which at one point was supposed to rival Las Vegas as a gambling destination, has nearly fallen to pieces. One of the last bricks taken out of its wall is a new…
American Consumer Spending Continues to Falter
ThinkstockThe consumer may have returned to malls and retail stores, but he remains wary about what he believes he can spend. Based on the portion of gross domestic product (GDP) that consumer spending represents,…
June CPI Shows Inflation Has Arrived — Or Has It?
ThinkstockThe U.S. Labor Department gave us the formal inflation reading for the month of June on Tuesday morning. Most investors are more concerned about major earnings reports and economic recovery and growth, but this…
GDP Watch: National Growth Decelerated in June
ThinkstockAfter a 2.9% drop in gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2014, all eyes have been on June economic readings. After all, June marks the end of the second quarter. Now…
Will ‘Back to School Spending’ Hurt Holiday Retail Sales?
ThinkstockAs the economy recovers slowly, among the most critical questions about GDP recovery is how much money Americans actually have to spend for more than essentials. High energy and food prices, particularly as they…