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…
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Newest first · Page 291Will ‘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…
Last Week of Weather Makes California Drought Worse
ThinkstockThe most recent report on the national drought conditions from the U.S. Drought Monitor: As of July 15: During the past 7-days, a series of slow-moving cold fronts traversed the eastern two-thirds of the…
Economic Recovery Watch: Capacity Utilization’s Weaker Reality
Thinkstock24/7 Wall St. covers many economic readings throughout each week, month and year. Many economic reports are trumped up in their value by the financial media and by short-term traders, but many of the…
Labor Department Brings Great News on Jobless Claims
The U.S. Labor Department is out with its tally on weekly jobless claims, and the verdict is that it was great news. While other information is out that was not positive, the weekly jobless claims…
Federal Reserve Beige Book Indicates Growth Trajectory Nationwide
ThinkstockThe Federal Reserve has released its latest installment of the so-called Beige Book. The Fed is getting yet another chance to move the market with data that should have already been known. Basic comments…
Industrial Production Softening, Capacity Galore
ThinkstockWednesday’s economic reporting included industrial production and capacity utilization data for the month of June. It turns out that production was muted, and capacity remains defiantly under that key 80% barometer. It just doesn’t…
Labor Department Shows Inflation Uptick in Producer Prices
ThinkstockThe U.S. Labor Department released its Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand for the month of June on Wednesday morning. We were worried that wholesale inflation would be stronger than what the economists…
Why Producer Prices Could Show Inflationary Pressures
ThinkstockOn Wednesday morning the markets will have to deal with yet another reading on inflation — albeit at the wholesale level. The US Labor Department will report its reading for the Producer Price Index…
No Inflation Seen in Import and Export Prices
ThinkstockInflation in international trade will be nothing to scare the Federal Reserve into a major inflationary panic. June’s import and export prices were more than just tame. Export prices were down by 0.4% on…
Yellen Testimony Signals Accommodative Policy and Low Rates to Continue
ThinkstockFed Chair Janet Yellen is delivering her semiannual Monetary Policy Report in front of Congress on Tuesday. The testimony is before the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs of the Senate. Her speech…
Another Disappointing Retail Sales Number at Quarter-End
ThinkstockJune turned out to not be a great month for retail sales. The Census Bureau reported that advance monthly sales for retail and food services rose by only 0.2% to $439.9 billion on a…
Why Beef Prices Will Rise Again, Despite Recent Slide
ThinkstockThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) at noon Friday offering the agency’s latest estimates for U.S. and global crop supply and demand prospects and…
No Recession Expected by Economists
ThinkstockIt may be that economists are wrong so often that their forecasts about growth and the odds for or against future recessions are of little value. Nevertheless, the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) July…
Solid Weekly Jobless Claims Report From the Labor Department
Ed Brown, via Wikimedia CommonsThe U.S. Labor Department has released its weekly jobless claims. Frankly, the market already had a stellar unemployment and payrolls report last week, and this data was covering the Fourth…