Archive: Economic and Financial Digest
July 20, 2017 | Economic and Financial Digest
The Low Inflation Puzzle
As the second half of the year gets underway, the economy is entering the ninth year of recovery from the Great Recession. But don’t uncork the champagne, as this anniversary has as many critics as celebrants. True, the upturn has been durable, lasting longer than eight of the 11 postwar expansions. But it is also […]
June 16, 2017 | Economic and Financial Digest
Washington Dysfunction
As the summer season starts to heat up, so too is the economy. The first quarter’s slowdown is already history and the financial markets, along with policy makers, are gearing up for what looks like a solid rebound in the second quarter. The labor market continues to do its part, generating jobs at a faster […]
May 17, 2017 | Economic and Financial Digest
Slowing With Age
The economy hit another speed bump in the first quarter, something that has become a regular pattern in recent years. Perhaps it’s the familiarity or just complacency, but the slowdown hardly caused a ripple on the anxiety scale. Few, if any, respected economists or policy officials think that the ebb represents the start of something […]
April 24, 2017 | Economic and Financial Digest
Irrational Exuberance?
With spring now in full bloom, so too is the season for optimism, raising hopes that the third longest economic recovery in U.S. history has the strength to continue. But things are never that tidy or simple. When everyone is optimistic, the shock effect of any downside surprise could wreak havoc. By definition, it’s impossible […]
March 10, 2017 | Economic and Financial Digest
No Winter Blues
Economists have a habit of downplaying the significance of data for a single month, famously noting that one-month does not make a trend. Investors, of course, do not always heed that warning, as they just as famously tend to overreact, particularly when incoming data either exceed or fall short of expectations. That divergent response has […]