Archive: Economic and Financial Digest
October 20, 2018 | Economic and Financial Digest
The Road Ahead Will Get Bumpier
The economy is closing in on the best year for growth in more than a decade, and household and business spirits are understandably upbeat. Workers have enjoyed 95 consecutive months of job growth, the longest stretch on record; wages are finally starting to rise at a faster clip; and personal finances continue to improve, with […]
August 15, 2018 | Economic and Financial Digest
Don’t Fear Inflation
There’s a lot to like about the U.S. economy’s performance. It just completed the strongest quarterly growth rate in nearly four years, the job market is rocking, corporations are enjoying record profits, stock prices are up and consumer confidence remains elevated. Indeed, the party is going so well that the Federal Reserve is taking away […]
July 23, 2018 | Economic and Financial Digest
As Good As It Gets
As expected, the U.S. central bank hiked short-term interest rates by another quarter-point at its June meeting, lifting the bellwether federal funds rate up to a range of 1.75-2.00 percent. It was the second increase so far this year, and the seventh since the Fed moved away from its lengthy zero-rate policy of December 2015. […]
June 15, 2018 | Economic and Financial Digest
Recession Watch
At 107 months and counting, the U.S. expansion is now the second longest on record, topping the 106 months from 1961 to 1969. Not surprisingly, the “recession watch” is on for economists, investors and policymakers. Some, of course, firmly believe that trees grow to the sky and the current upturn can continue forever. That illusion […]
May 21, 2018 | Economic and Financial Digest
The Return of Inflation
Welcome back old friend. It’s been a while – close to two decades in fact –that a familiar feature of the economic landscape has been missing: inflation. To be sure, many, if not most, households would disagree with that assertion, noting that prices on the basket of goods and services they typically purchase have been […]