Latest News Tag: Market Trends

Last Week in Review: US/China uncertainty The biggest story in the financial markets and around the globe is the ongoing US/China trade negotiations. At the moment, there is no resolution and it appears there will be no resolution for at least several weeks as the US and China are not expected to talk again until the G-20 Summit June […]

Last Week in Review: Is low inflation finally "transitory"? Transitory = non-permanent or lasting a very short time "Transitory" is the word Fed Chairman Jerome Powell used this week at the Fed Meeting to describe the current low inflation environment, meaning that inflation will likely pickup from this “temporary” low level. The problem? Inflation has been […]

Last Week in Review: The US economy remains "durable" Good news is typically bad news for Bonds and home loan rates. That has not been the trend of late, and certainly not this past week. Durable Goods Orders is a report which shows buying demand for products with a life cycle beyond 4 years -- think […]

Last Week in Review: Good times continue Initial Jobless Claims is a weekly report that tracks how many people have filed for unemployment benefits. It is both a solid gauge on the state of the labor market and economy, and a leading indicator on what to expect in the months ahead. So, what are Initial Jobless […]

This past week we saw mortgage rates experience their largest one-week decline in 10 years!!! What caused the sharp decline in home loan rates? Recessionary fears, and the likelihood the Fed's next move on rates may be a cut and as soon as this year. The Treasury's Two-Month Bill yielded 2.40% this past week and the […]

Last Week in Review: Thank you Jerome Powell The monetary authority of the United States, the Federal Reserve, meets 8 times a year to discuss the economy and adjust monetary policy to promote maximum employment and maintain price stability (inflation). The Fed, led by Chairman Jerome Powell, met this past Wednesday and decided to leave the […]

Last Week in Review: Complacency heading into spring Volatility has disappeared in the financial markets and a sense of calm and complacency has emerged. Why? Well thanks to the Fed, and inflation and higher rates not being a threat -- both Stocks and Bond prices are moving higher. For 2019, home loan rates have been stable […]

Last Week in Review: U.S. Economy showing solid growth. This past week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported the U.S. economy, as defined by Gross Domestic Product (GDP), grew at a 2.6% rate in the fourth quarter of 2018. Economists and the markets were expecting 2.0% to 2.3%, so this was a nice upside surprise. […]

Last Week in Review: Minutes Revealed The highlight of this past week was the Fed Minutes from the January Fed Meeting. The Minutes are a detailed record of the Fed's monetary policy setting meeting, so the markets gain insight into the psyche of the Fed as it relates to interest rates, the economy and more. What […]

Last Week in Review: Canary in the coalmine. The financial markets are sensing a government shutdown and protracted trade war with China will be averted. This is good news and a reason why Stocks have continued to push higher and home loan rates have capped for the past few weeks. But last Thursday, Retail Sales was […]