FED’S EVANS: ‘PARTISAN POLITICS’ THREATENS FISCAL RELIEF; POSES ‘SIGNIFICANT DOWNSIDE RISK’
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Political wrangling threatens needed fiscal support for the U.S. economy, and poses a big downside risk, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Thursday. In unusually blunt language, Evans called out politicians for lack of action, saying the expiration of an array of federal programs threatens the recovery, and that more fiscal […]
US CBO TEXT: DEFICIT HEADING TO ALL-TIME RECORD; 10-YR OUTLOOK SURPRISES
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office Wednesday updated its outlook for annual budget deficits, and while the impending record widening is no surprise, the tapering toward the end of the next decade was unexpected. The following is the CBO text of its summary of the budget update, with boldfaced emphasis added: • Deficits […]
DATA FLASH: US 2ND QTR GDP REVISED UP TO -31.7%
—Second Quarter PCE Revised Up to -34.1% From -34.6% Previously–Initial Jobless Claims Fell By 98,000 to 1.006 Million in August 22 Week By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Second quarter GDP was revised up due to upward adjustments to all its components. Even with the small improvement, though, the second quarter reading remains the largest […]
DATA PREVIEW: STIMULUS GRIDLOCK, COVID CUTS INTO CONFIDENCE
By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The inability to pass new stimulus measures in the face of rising COVID-19 cases likely had a dampening effect on consumer confidence in August, even as interest rates have hit rock-bottom, gasoline prices are low and with the U.S. stock markets to a large extent having eclipsed their pre-COVID […]
STATUS CHECK: NO GOOD NEWS FOR VIRUS, GDP, JOBS; TRUMP DISTRACTS
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: Thursday’s welter of policy countercurrents, paralysis and confusion about ominous suggestions from the president was in contrast to the stark facts about the virus that stood out in sharp relief, that there were […]
DATA FLASH: US SECOND QUARTER GDP CONTRACTS BY 32.9% ON FULL COVID IMPACT
—Second Quarter PCE Plunged by 34.6% After 6.9% Drop in First Quarter–First Quarter GDP Unrevised at 5.0% Decline, Fourth Quarter GDP Revised Up To 2.4% Gain–Initial Jobless Claims Rise By 12,000 to 1.434 Mln, 4-Week Average Up For First Time Since April By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – As expected, the U.S. economy contracted sharply […]
STATUS CHECK: NO HAPPY TALK FROM POWELL; VIRUS STATS GRIM
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: The VIX mood ring turned a more mellow shade Wednesday, improving a notable 5.27% to settle at 24.10 by day’s end. U.S stocks finished the day’s session +0.61% or 160.29 points, and in […]
US NABE SURVEY: ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT SEEN FROM NOW ON
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The National Association for Business Economics Monday published the latest survey of its members, the Business Conditions Survey, showing marked improvements compared to April’s previous survey and expectations of expansion through the second half of next year. The following are excerpts from the survey of 104 members through July 14: “The July […]
STATUS CHECK: NEXT WK, FOMC AND US GDP. MORE NASDAQ WOES?
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s’ status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes: The VIX stayed about the same at 25.84 Friday after U.S. stocks were modestly negative for a second day. The DJIA finished -0.68%/-`82.94 and off 0.76% for the week. S&P -0.67%/-20.03 and also […]
DATA PREVIEW: THE COVID BILL COMES DUE WITH Q2 US GDP
By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – All throughout the COVID-19 shutdown, everyone from talking heads to economists to politicians spoke about second quarter GDP in ominous terms – a data point that was way down the road at the time. So now here we are. The advance estimate of second-quarter GDP will be released Thursday […]