Economy
So Much for Inflation Running Wild This Summer

So Much for Inflation Running Wild This Summer

This week brought a trio of reports on inflation. None of them seemed to flash any warning signs about prices spiraling out of control. On Wednesday, the Labor Department said producer prices (PPI) rose 0.3 percent in June. That was above the 0.2 percent forecast. On...

PCs Rebound: Are Dinosaurs Rising in Tech?

PCs Rebound: Are Dinosaurs Rising in Tech?

This week saw surprising news for the technology sector. PCs are growing again. Yesterday, two major research firms both announced that PC shipments rose in the second quarter for the first time in six years. IDC reported a gain of 2.7 percent year-over-year, crushing...

An Unexpected Positive in Housing

An Unexpected Positive in Housing

There was a rare green shoot in housing today. Mortgage applications for buying a home rose 7 percent last week (seasonally adjusted), according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. It was the biggest gain since an increase of 10 percent in mid-April. Another report...

So Much for a Trade War Killing Stocks

So Much for a Trade War Killing Stocks

The economy is strong, earnings are near and a trade war might be priced in. That kept stocks rising last week. The S&P 500 climbed 1.5 percent in the holiday-abbreviated week between June 29 and July 4. More than four-fifths of of the companies in the benchmark...

Goldilocks Silences Jerome Powell

Goldilocks Silences Jerome Powell

Fairy tales keep coming true in the U.S. economy. Most people know the classic story of Goldilocks describing the porridge of the Three Bears: Not too hot, not too cold, but just right. Most people probably also know how it gets applied to finance: Inflation's not too...

Will the Strong Economy Distort Today’s Jobs Report?

Will the Strong Economy Distort Today’s Jobs Report?

Today features an event that's usually considered the most important economic report of the month. But it might be distorted by the strong economy. That might sound crazy, but it's exactly what happened yesterday when ADP's private-sector payroll tally missed...

Are We Seeing Fireworks on Trade?

Are We Seeing Fireworks on Trade?

It's Fourth of July week, and the fireworks may have already begun. The last few days have featured even more bangs and flashes between U.S. and other countries. The spectacles continue to revolve around trade as the Trump Administration looks to narrow the gap...

Here come the central banks

Here come the central banks

Now that the North Korean summit is finished, attention turns to major central bank meetings on both sides of the Atlantic. Both are expected to push interest rates higher. The U.S. Federal Reserve gets things started at 2 p.m. ET today. Forecasts across the board...

Don’s Notebook May 30, 2018

Don’s Notebook May 30, 2018

The national employment report from Automated Data Processing Inc. is computed from ADP records that represent approximately 400,000 U.S. business clients and approximately 23 million U.S. employees. ADP hasn't been getting much attention lately, but earlier it issued...