BNK OF AMERICA GLOBAL FUND MANAGER SURVEY SEES CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM

–Fret Any Second COVID-19 Wave –World Stocks Deemed Most ‘Overvalued’ Since 1998 By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global investors polled in June were cautiously optimistic about world growth, but wary that a second wave of COVID-19 could weigh on economic prospects, according to the findings of BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, […]

DATA FLASH: US MAY RETAIL SALES SURGE BY 17.7% ON REOPENINGS

–Retail Sales Excluding Motor Vehicles Rose 12.4%; Vehicle Sales Surge 44.1%–Industrial Production Rose 1.4%, Motor Vehicle Production Rebounds by 120.8%–NAHB Index Jump To 58 in June From 37 in May, Suggests Stronger Home Building Ahead–Business Inventories Down 1.3% in April, Business Sales Down 14.4% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – As social distancing eased in […]

GERMANY’S ZEW ECONOMIC SENTIMENT INDEX SHOWS IMPROVED CURRENT CONDITIONS AND OUTLOOK

By Marco Babic ZURICH (MaceNews) – In a sign that the worst might be over for Germany’s economy, both current economic conditions and outlook improved in June, according to the ZEW institute in Mannheim. The Economic Sentiment Economic Index rose to 63.4 in June, improving 12.4 points from May. While current conditions improved by 10.4 […]

DATA PREVIEW: WAS MAY THE TURNING POINT? LET’S FIND OUT

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The May U.S. data have been modestly uplifting to this point, specifically the surprise payrolls gain and lower unemployment rate, improved inflation data, and a smaller contraction in manufacturing conditions. None of it came close to making up for the terrible March and April readings, but it’s a start. […]

DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS SLOW FURTHER; MAY PPI ABOVE EXPECTED

–Initial Claims -355,000 to 1.542 Mln; 40.4 Mln Unadj Total Under COVID–May PPI Up 0.4%, But Down 0.1% Ex Food and Energy; Gasoline +43.9%. By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The U.S. jobless claims data released earlier Thursday pointed to continued improvement for both new filings and existing filings, but the levels of both remain extremely […]

FED’S POWELL: DOING ALL WE CAN; WILL IT BE ENOUGH?

–‘Dot Plot’ Shows Assumptions of No Rate Hikes Through 2022 –To Sustain Pace of Treasuries, MBS Purchases By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell Wednesday offered reassurance policymakers are not even “thinking about thinking” about raising rates and shared his worries about possible long-term post-crisis unemployment. Answering questions after the Federal […]

DATA FLASH: US MAY CPI FALLS 0.1% BEFORE JUNE DEMAND PICKUP

–Core Prices Also Down 0.1%; Ex. Only Energy, CPI Up 0.1%.–Energy Prices Again Down Sharply; Foods Prices Rise on Food at Home–Owners’ Equivalent Rents Up 0.3%, Lodging Away from Home Down 1.5% By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. consumer prices were below the flat reading expected, as energy prices declined further, but demand is […]

DATA PREVIEW: PROTESTS COMPLICATE FOMC STATEMENT AMID RECOVERY

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After the May employment report showed slight improvement after the overwhelmingly negative April report, the attention in the week ahead turns to the monthly U.S. inflation reports and Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, as well as the first look at June consumer confidence. The FOMC meets Tuesday and Wednesday at a […]

DATA FLASH: US MAY PAYROLLS RISE BY 2.5 MLN, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 13.3%

–Employ Data Still Show Considerable COVID Impact Even as Data Turns Up–Food Services, Retail, Medical Jobs Lead Gain; Hourly Earnings -1.0%   By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The May employment report showed further impact of the COVID-19 shutdown, but there was no question that the surprisingly positive data point to a turning point after […]

USTR LIGHTHIZER CASTS CHINA RELATIONSHIP IN ROSY HUES

–Doing OK in Adherence to Phase 1 Commitments –China Pullback in Ag Purchases ‘Not True.’ NEW YORK (MaceNews) – President Trump’s top trade negotiator Thursday cast U.S.-China relations, at least in his sphere, in unexpectedly positive terms and called reports of a setback in purchases of U.S. soybeans perhaps the result of “disinformation.” U.S. Trade […]