Federal Reserve

America’s output of physically made goods improved in February 2018 according to the Federal Reserve.  Rising 1.1 percent, Industrial Production made up for all the downwardly revised decline of 0.3 percent (originally minus 0.1 percent) in January.  Year-over-year, this cyclically sensitive indicator increased 4.4 percent.

America’s output of physically made goods improved in February 2018 according to the Federal Reserve.  Rising 1.1 percent, Industrial Production made up for all the downwardly revised decline of 0.3 percent (originally minus 0.1 percent) in January.  Year-over-year, this cyclically sensitive indicator increased 4.4 percent.

America’s central bank increased the overnight interest rate (called the Fed Funds Rate) on Wednesday.  This is the Federal Reserve’s sixth hike since they began raising rates in December 2015.  At the time, Janet Yellen led the institution; four subsequent increases happened under her watch.  On February 5, 2018, Jerome Powell assumed the office, and he now has his f

Hints of inflation are wafting through the economy per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Their widely-watched Consumer Price Index (CPI) jumped 0.5 percent to start this year.  January’s year-over-year statistic posted 2.1 percent, matching December’s tally.  Core-CPI (excluding food and energy) managed an uptick of 0.3 percent to start 2018, and its year-ove

Personal income and spending each improved to end 2017, but their rates of change were different.  Americans’ pay managed to grow just 0.3 percent while outlays increased 0.5 percent.  Additionally, there was a key revision to the prior period’s tally as outlays actually increased 0.8 percent (originally 0.6 percent), but November’s income tally remained as initially

America’s output of physically made goods improved 0.9 percent in December 2017 according to the Industrial Production figures from the Federal Reserve.  This strong uptick followed the downwardly revised count of 0.1 percent in November (originally up 0.2 percent).  Versus twelve months earlier, this indicator is 3.6 percent higher.

Prices paid by Americans were higher in December 2017 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  However, the rates of change were mixed.  For instance, the month-over-month Consumer Price Index (CPI) decelerated to just 0.1 percent after hitting 0.4 percent a month earlier, and the year-over-year tally slowed to 2.1 percent from 2.2 percent.  However, core-CPI (whic

Newsworthy events were not in short supply this year.  Right out of the gate, America swore in its 45^th president.  Shortly thereafter, North Korea began firing ballistic missiles across the Sea of Japan.  Then the United Kingdom triggered article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting Brexit negotiations.  And these all happened in the first quarter of the year!