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Economic news and data drive Fed interest rate policy and financial market movement. The problem for many investors is sorting through the massive volume of news and numbers to separate the critical information from the noise. Our economic commentaries provide clear explanation of key events in layman’s terms, as well as regular interest rate updates.

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Mortgage Rates Drop, Home Prices Reach New Highs

07/22/2021

This morning, Freddie Mac reported the fourth straight weekly decrease in the average mortgage lendi…

Economic Commentary

by Scott McIntyre, CFA

Mortgage Rates Drop, Home Prices Reach New Highs

Retail Sales Rebound as Consumers Increase Spending

Producer Prices Pile On

CP-Eye Popping

Minutes to the June FOMC Meeting Signal Patience

2021 Q2 Economic Recap and Rate Outlook

Solid Labor Report Unlikely to Alter Fed Mindset

ISM Factory Survey Indicates Highest Prices in Four Decades

Sorting the Pieces to this Week's Economic Puzzle

Has Housing Demand Peaked?

Short Yields Rise and Long Yields Plunge

Fed Offers Welcome Relief to the Short End

Retail Sales Cool, Producers Prices Boil

Brisk Growth Pushes Consumer Prices Higher

Posted Job Openings Spike to Record High

Job Gains Fall Short Again in May

Improving Labor Numbers and Optimism will Pressure Fed

Markets Yawn as Prices Soar

Labor & Materials Shortages Challenge Homebuilders

April Retail Sales Unchanged at Lofty Levels

April Prices Run Hot

Markets Rally on Shocking Payroll Miss

Purchasing Managers Indicate Inability to Meet Demand

Q1 GDP is Solid, but Short of the Whisper

Market Yawns as Fed Treads Familiar Path

Spring Housing Data Still Indicating a Hot Summer

Housing Starts Accelerate to Fill Severe Shortage of Homes

Giant Step Up in Consumer Spending to Push Q1 GDP Higher

Price Pressure on the Rise, with More to Come

2021 Q1 Economic Recap and Rate Outlook

Surveys Show Service Sector Quickly Gaining Momentum

March Jobs Report Crushes Forecasts

Strong ISM Report is Another Log on the Fire

Confidence Jump Hints at Future Spending Surge

Lost Service Sector Jobs on Verge of Return

Housing Cools in February

Patient Fed Shrugs off Possibility of Overheating

Cold Weather and Empty Pockets Slow Spending

The Fed's Role in Rescuing Short Yields

Improved Employment Report Reflects Receding Virus Cases

Powell Misses on Attempt to Calm Markets

Yield Climb Resumes on Inflation Concerns

The Coiled Spring of Pent-Up Demand

Bond Yields Rise, Adds Fuel to Q1 Growth Story

Markets Still Jittery Despite Powell's Assurances

First Quarter GDP Outlook Suddenly Much Brighter

Economic News Scraps from a Light Week

Future Inflation Likely to be Much Warmer, but January Prices are Still Cool

Weakening Labor Picture Strengthens Stimulus Bid

Purchasing Managers Expect Better Days

Rising Income and Elevated Savings Bode Well for Future Spending

Fed Stands Pat; Powell Dodges GameStop Question

More Aggressive Virus Approach Could Weigh on Q1 GDP

Less Consumer Spending Over Holidays, but Help on Way

Unemployment Filings Soar as COVID Asserts Itself

December Job Loss Increases Urgency for Aid

Optimism Reigns Despite Surging Virus

2020 Q4 Economic Recap and Rate Outlook

Rising Unemployment Claims Pressures Congress to Act Now

Steady Fed Holds the Line on Asset Purchases

Virus-Tinted Consumer Spending Sags in November

Congress Bickers as Midnight Shutdown Looms

Economic Odds and Ends

Disappointing Payroll Report Argues for Fiscal Support

Economic Data Still Mostly Solid as the Virus Spreads

A Mixed Bag for the Holidays

No End in Sight to Housing Boom

Slowing Retail Sales Hints at Slower Q4

Inflation Retreats as Virus Threat Rises

Employment Picture Brightens in October

Fed is Quiet as Election Results Play Out

ISM Manufacturing Index Indicates Solid Start to Q4

The Historical Third Quarter GDP Report and Beyond

Strong Data Supports Record Q3 GDP Growth

Consumer Spending is Plenty Brisk at Quarter End

Labor Market Gains Fading

Stimulus Talks Flop / Consumer Prices Moderate

Notes on the October Bloomberg Economists Survey