U.S. CPI statistics

As anticipated in the U.S., prices rose in August 2024, while the annual inflation rate fell to its lowest point since February 2021, according to a Labor Department report on Wednesday 11th September 2024. This development likely now paves the way for a Federal Reserve interest rate reduction next weekRead More →

Federal Reserve

Is the U.S. economy already weaker than the headline data suggests and should the U.S. Federal Reserve already be easing? In the U.S. recent data (Friday 30th August 2024) showed the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation, ticked up 0.2% last month, asRead More →

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) reached a new record high on Monday 26th August 2024, closing at 41240.  Investors have responded positively to the Federal Reserve’s recent indications that interest rate cuts are highly probable to commence in September 2024. Market dynamics and sentiment The rise of the DJIARead More →

U.S. inflation

U.S. consumer prices (CPI) increased at the slowest rate in over three years last month, further supporting the argument for the Fed to begin reducing interest rates. According to the U.S. Labor Department, prices climbed 2.9% in the 12 months leading up to July 2024, marking the smallest yearly riseRead More →

Witches' stocks cauldron

The stock markets mix of toil and trouble is in the cauldron ready for a bear market in 2025, if not before. Why? These concerns are now all combining, and it will likely add-up to a bear market of around 25% in 2025 (this is my best guess). Remember –Read More →

Federal Reserve

Jerome Powell appears to be further paving the way for a rate cut at the next meeting in July 2024. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reportedly said Monday 15th July 2024 that the central bank will not wait until inflation hits 2% to cut interest rates. Powell referenced the idea that centralRead More →

Rules in a book

The ‘Sahm Rule’ serves as a heuristic indicator employed by the Federal Reserve to ascertain the onset of a recession in the economy. The Sahm Rule is a real-time evaluation tool based on monthly unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Named after economist Claudia Sahm, it forecastsRead More →

U.S. jobs

The U.S. economy exceeded job growth expectations in May 2024, alleviating concerns of a labour market downturn but potentially diminishing the Federal Reserve’s motivation to cut interest rates. Non-farm payrolls surged by 272,000 for the month – a significant increase from April’s 165,000 and surpassing the consensus forecast of 190,000.Read More →

Debt burden

The federal debt reportedly reached $34.5 trillion, marking an increase of approximately $11 trillion since March 2020. This surge has sparked discussions among government and financial leaders, with a notable Wall Street firm questioning whether the associated costs could threaten the stock market’s upward trend. The Congressional Budget Office projectsRead More →

All three major indices closed at records on 15th May 2024 The Dow climbed 0.88%, while the S&P 500 gained 1.17%, ending the session above 5,300 for the first time. The tech-related Nasdaq Composite closed higher by 1.40%. Dow closed at a new high of: 39908 S&P 500 closed at a new high of: 5308 Nasdaq CompositeRead More →

Inflation has become a persistent challenge for the Fed The battle against inflation persists, gradually impacting the U.S. economy and presenting substantial challenges for the Federal Reserve. Despite concerted efforts to control it, inflation remains stubbornly remains, leaving policymakers in a dilemma – to stimulate economic growth or to curbRead More →

AI

Nvidia, manufacturer of one of the most advanced graphics processing units (GPUs), has significantly benefited from the artificial intelligence (AI) surge due to the high demand for its microchips. The company’s shares have fallen 10% from their recent all-time high, which was over $950. On Tuesday, 9th April 2024, theRead More →

Powell

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated on Wednesday 3rd April 2024 that policymakers will need time to assess the current inflation situation, leaving the schedule for potential interest rate reductions unclear. Referring to the stronger-than-anticipated price pressures at the year’s onset, Powell reportedly stated that he and his colleagues areRead More →