Could Democrats be fighting the last war and wasting money on another $ 1.9 trillion economic relief package? Perhaps, if St. Louis Federal Reserve president James Bullard is right. The Fed official thinks the economy is already set for a strong recovery in 2021. It’s possible U.S. economic growth could …
Read More » The numbers: The huge service side of the U.S. economy grew faster in January and companies added more workers, signaling better times ahead as the record surge in coronavirus cases receded. A survey of top business leaders at non-manufacturing companies such as restaurants, hospitals and banks rose to 58.7% from …
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The numbers: Sales of newly built homes occurred at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 842,000 in December, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. That was 1.6% above the downwardly-revised pace of 829,000 in November. Analysts polled by MarketWatch had projected new-home sales to occur at a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 875,000. Compared to …
Read More » The numbers: Consumer confidence bounced back a bit in January as Americans looked past the high number of coronavirus cases and deaths toward greater availability of vaccines and an improving economy. The index of consumer confidence rose to 89.3 this month from a revised 87.1 in December, the Conference Board said …
Read More » The Federal Trade Commission and 47 states are suing Facebook for allegedly squelching competition by acquiring startups, and seeking divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp. The suits are without merit and bad economic policy. Facebook FB, -2.83% offers users a tool to create online bulletin boards where individuals, affinity groups and businesses can communicate personal news, collaborate, market products and …
Read More » The numbers: U.S. manufacturers said business improved in December for the eight month in a row and new orders matched a pandemic high, signaling they are weathering the record coronavirus outbreak better than other major industries. The Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index rose to 60.7% in December from …
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The numbers: The second and final reading of the consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan fell to 80.7 in December from an initial 81.4 earlier in the month. The index remained higher than the 76.9 reading in November. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast the index would slip …
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The numbers: Consumer confidence stumbled for the second straight month in December, hitting its lowest level since during the worst of the cornavirus lockdowns in May. The index of consumer confidence fell to 88.6 this month from a revised 92.9 in November, the Conference Board said Tuesday. Economists polled by …
Read More » The numbers: The Chicago Fed’s national activity index, which is designed to gauge overall U.S. economic activity, declined to 0.27 in November from a revised 1.01 in the prior month. It is the smallest gain after the sharp decline in May. The index’s three-month moving average, which tries to smooth …
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