Posts Tagged ‘Market update’
Hiring Surge Brings Good News in February
In this week’s recap: a hiring surge, a noteworthy remark from Jerome Powell, a dip for a respected household confidence index, and gains on Wall Street. Weekly Economic Update February BEGINS WITH SOME EXCELLENT ECONOMIC DATA Payrolls swelled with 304,000 net new jobs last month, according to the Department of Labor’s February employment…
Read MoreHome Sales Slip in Atlanta
HOME SALES QUICKLY FALTER Seldom do existing home sales fall 6.4% in a month, but that was what happened in December. National Association of Realtors economist Laurence Yun called the drop a reflection of “consumer search processes and contract signing activity in previous months when mortgage rates were higher than today,” and noted that the…
Read MoreMarket a Mixed Bag- What that means for Atlanta.
CONSUMER SENTIMENT HITS A 2-YEAR LOW Analysts surveyed by MarketWatch thought the University of Michigan’s preliminary January consumer sentiment index would display a reading of 97.5. Instead, it came in at just 90.7, dropping 7.6 points from its final December mark to its lowest level since October 2016. Richard Curtin, the economist who has long…
Read MoreWhy did Inflation Retreat Last Week?
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MARCH, INFLATION RETREATS December brought a 0.1% decline in the Consumer Price Index, the first in nine months. As in November, cheaper gasoline was a factor: gas prices took a 7.5% monthly fall. The CPI advanced 1.9% across 2018. The core CPI, which excludes food and energy costs, rose 0.2%…
Read MoreYear-End Special Edition: A Look Back at 2018
The close of the year provides an opportunity for investors to step back and consider the wider financial landscape. This week, we’re reviewing some key issues that defined 2018, as well as some factors that may influence financial markets in the coming year. Year in Review Wall Street began 2018 in rally mode, as enthusiasm…
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