Bond and Stock Markets Both Reach Record Highs… The U.S. 10-year Treasury bond yield fell to 1.36%, a record low, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both moved up to record highs. What it means– Both trends make perfect sense, but not from an investing point of view. For bonds, central banks around the world are […]
The U.S. Added 287,000 Jobs in June, the Highest Total Since October 2015… The dismal reading of 38,000 jobs last month was actually revised lower to 11,000, while the April total was adjusted a bit higher. The three-month average is 147,000. What it means – As noted last month, part of the ugly numbers for May was the Verizon […]
“Watch your thoughts, for they will become actions. Watch your actions, for they’ll become habits. Watch your habits for they will forge your character. Watch your character, for it will make your destiny.” – Margaret Thatcher I am a firm believer that when power is centralized away from the people, the people will speak. Our […]
Federal Reserve’s Labor Market Conditions Index (LMCI) Drops to Lowest Level Since May 2009… The experimental data series was revised lower in April as well, from minus 0.9 to negative 3.4, which is the second-lowest reading since the crash. What it means – The Fed developed the LMCI, a composite of 19 separate indicators, to […]
April New Home Sales Rocket Higher, Up 16.6% Over March… The worry over new home sales in March appears misguided. In addition to an unexpected jump in sales last month, the median sale price also jumped 7.8% to $321,000. What it means– In March, new home sales, permits, and existing home sales posted disappointing results. But the residential real estate […]
Consumer Prices up 0.4% in April, and 1.1% over Last Year… Excluding food and energy, prices were up 0.2% last month, and 2.1% over the same period last year. What it means– Gasoline prices ticked higher with oil prices last month, pushing the consumer price index higher. Costs rose in most areas except apparel. But the growth rate slowed […]
Producer Price Index Up 0.2% in April, Flat Year-Over-Year… Excluding food and energy, the measure of wholesale prices rose just 0.1% last month, and is only 0.9% higher over the same period last year. What it means– In the official measures, inflation remains absent. Clearly, they don’t give a lot of weight to things we actually buy on a […]
Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged… The central bank left short-term rates at zero, but specifically mentioned in their press release that they could raise rates as soon as December. What it means – The Fed reminds of Wimpy from the cartoon Popeye. Wimpy is famous for saying, ” I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a […]
The U.S. Economy Created 142,000 Jobs in September, Far Below the Expectation of 200,000… The reports for August and July were revised lower, by 37,000 and 22,000 respectively. What it means – Less. That’s the theme of the entire report. Fewer jobs were created than expected, hours worked declined, labor force participation dropped, and even earnings […]
This week the noise was over whelming. For that reason I wanted to respond to the markets a little different than doing my best to try to tell you what happened and what it means. Yes, global markets turned south on China Fears and Uncertainty over Oil. Minutes from the July Fed revealed lots of […]