Are Retail Reports a Sign of a Slowing Recovery?
As the U.S. Census Bureau reported on Aug. 17, retail sales fell by 1.1 percent during July compared to the revised June retail sales figures. This is in contrast to an increase of 20.6 percent between May and July…
Will Increasing Oil Prices Put a Ceiling on Global Economic Growth?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook, the June price of $73 per barrel for Brent Crude Oil was up by $5 per barrel over May. With more vaccinations being rolled out…
How Will Uncertain Inflation Outlook Impact Stock Market?
The June 16 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting Q&A session with Chairman Jay Powell and recent comments from The Fed have signaled two potential inflation rate hikes in 2023. Two days later, James Bullard, president…
Will The Federal Reserve Create a Taper Tantrum in 2021?
With the economy reopening and more Americans receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, the economy is expected to be operating on all cylinders. However, some economists and market analysts are afraid The Federal Reserve may create a…
How Will a Steepening Yield Curve Impact Markets?
Based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the spread between the 10-year and two-year constant maturity Treasury rates increased by 66 basis points – from 0.48 percent in July 2020…
How Will the Projected Commodity Super-Cycle Impact Investors in 2021?
As the January 2021 World Bank Pink Sheet documented, prices increased month-over-month from November 2020 to December 2020. Highlights include the price of oil jumping by 15 percent. The cost of fertilizer jumped…
How Will Surging Oil Prices Impact the Economy in 2021?
Now that the Keystone XL pipeline is being shut down and southern parts of the United States are experiencing extremely cold weather, how will increasing oil prices impact the economy as the COVID-19 vaccine is being…
How Will Single Party Governing Impact the Markets in 2021?
About four in 10 Americans (41 percent) look positively toward single party control at the national level, according to an October 2020 Gallup annual governance survey. This is compared to 23 percent…
How Will the Biden Administration’s China Policy Impact Markets?
The Obama and Trump administrations couldn’t have had a more different approach when it came to U.S. relations with China. As the Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS) explains, under the Obama…
How Will the Biden Administration Influence the Federal Reserve?
With the nation on the precipice of a transition of administrations on Jan. 20, 2021, there will need to be many roles filled both in and out of the White House. With the potential for Janet Yellen…