🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readAs 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 and a 15.8 percent increase for the year-over-year comparison to 2020 for … Continue reading “Are Retail Reports a Sign of a Slowing Recovery?”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readAccording 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, uncertainty over OPEC+’s production moves, and a reduction in worldwide oil availability, the outlook for oil … Continue reading “Will Increasing Oil Prices Put a Ceiling on Global Economic Growth?”
🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readThe 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 of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, signaled there could be a rate hike … Continue reading “How Will Uncertain Inflation Outlook Impact Stock Market?”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWith 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 “taper tantrum” if and when it starts to reduce its purchase of U.S. Treasury debt. The Fed’s … Continue reading “Will The Federal Reserve Create a Taper Tantrum in 2021?”
🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readBased 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 to 1.14 percent by February 2021. Due to the Federal Reserve’s open market operations, two-year notes have … Continue reading “How Will a Steepening Yield Curve Impact Markets?”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readAs 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 2.2 percent, grains increased by 3.8 percent and iron ore jumped by 25 percent. While there’s been no … Continue reading “How Will the Projected Commodity Super-Cycle Impact Investors in 2021?”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readNow 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 rolled out? With West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude closing at $58.22 per barrel on Feb. … Continue reading “How Will Surging Oil Prices Impact the Economy in 2021?”
🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readAbout 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 of respondents desiring multiparty control. Breaking it down by party, 43 percent of Democrats want single-party rule, while 52 percent … Continue reading “How Will Single Party Governing Impact the Markets in 2021?”
🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readThe 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 administration, the United States favored a trade and investment approach when dealing with China, while the Trump administration had a … Continue reading “How Will the Biden Administration’s China Policy Impact Markets?”
🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readWith 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 to replace Steven Mnuchin as the next treasury secretary, there is much speculation about … Continue reading “How Will the Biden Administration Influence the Federal Reserve?”
