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Every morning at 6:30 PST, Mr. Market gives Atlas a wake-up call. During the preceding 14.5 hours, our sites and sources have been parsing the data collected from the prior day’s activity in all the financial markets we follow.

America’s trade imbalance improved in August 2017 according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Following July’s upwardly revised trade deficit of $43.6 billion (originally $43.7 billion), our nation’s shortfall improved to minus $42.4 billion.  This narrowing was a result of increased exports and falling imports.  More specifically, A

Both sides of the economy accelerated in September according to indicators from the Institute for Supply Management. Manufacturing’s tally improved to 60.8 from an already healthy 58.8 in August. Nonmanufacturing jumped to 59.8 from 55.3. In short, the economy looks good.

Headline figures were mixed on Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their employment report.  According to the establishment survey, our economy lost 33,000 jobs to end the third quarter of 2017.  However, the household survey estimates the unemployment rate declined to the lowest level since January 2001, 4.2 percent from 4.3 percent in August.   The BL

While politicians in America struggle to find nice things to say about one another, global alliances are shifting. Of course, politicians are simply trying to get reelected, so their rhetoric and voting records reflect (and rightfully so in representative democracy) their constituents. According to this 2014 study from the Pew Research Center, America is becoming more polarized.

Income and outlays improved in August 2017 according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income rose 0.2 percent or $28.6 billion. Subtracting taxes, disposable personal income (DPI) increased $14.9 billion or 0.1 percent.

Consumers seemed to be marginally less happy in September than in August according to two popular surveys of consumer attitudes.  Consumer Confidence from the Conference Board dropped to 119.8 versus the downwardly revised count of 120.4 (originally 122.9) in August.  Data collected by the University of Michigan for Consumer Sentiment resulted in a reading of 95.1 compared to 96.8 a m

The estimate for output growth during the second quarter of 2017 was revised marginally higher by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  Their third and “final” attempt to quantify gross domestic product (GDP) indicates the economy grew 3.1 percent on an inflation-adjusted, annualized basis versus 3.0 in the second estimate.  For comparison, GDP increased just 1.2 percent from

Durable Goods Orders increased 1.7 percent in August 2017 according to the Census Bureau’s most recent release. This uptick, the second of the last three months, reversed just a portion of the 6.8 percent decrease in July. Transportation’s 4.9 percent surge led this indicator higher; excluding this component leaves an improvement of 0.2 percent.