FULL COVID SHUTDOWN IMPACT WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN NEXT WEEK’S US DATA

By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After a week that showcased weakness in the U.S. housing market, analysts and financial market participants should prepare themselves for even more disappointing data next week. The mid-week FOMC meeting gives the Committee an opportunity to offer more consoling words, but any new actions would be even more appreciated. […]

DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS KEEP PILING UP; NEW HOME SALES PLUNGE

–Initial Claims Level Fall by 810,000/4.427 Mln–Continuing Claims Still Have More Room to Rise–New Home Sales -15.4%/627,000; Social Distancing To Cut Deeper in April–Markit Data Show Factory, Services Conditions Deteriorated Further By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The growth rate of initial claims slowed modestly in the April 18 employment survey week but remain elevated, […]

TEXAS ENERGY REGULATOR DELAYS OIL PRODUCTION VOTE UNTIL MAY 5

—Wants Time To Assess Legal Risks, Potential Industry Impact By Brai Odion-Esene, SW4 Insight, for Mace News WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – A divided Texas Railroad Commission Tuesday postponed its vote on limiting oil production in the nation’s largest oil-producing state, with the majority preferring to conduct additional due diligence and avoid potential legal minefields.  “We need […]

BOE’S BROADBENT DOWNPLAYS PROSPECTS OF UK RECOVERY IN H2

— Sees OBR forecast of 35% decline in output in Q2 as “not unreasonable”— Decision on expanded QE expected early next month By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – A Bank of England deputy governor Monday endorsed a grim forecast of a massive economic contraction in the second quarter, but warned that a rapid recovery may […]

DATA FLASH: US INITIAL CLAIMS CONTINUE TO PILE UP; MARCH HOUSING STARTS PLUNGE

–Initial Claims Level Fell By 1.370 Mln to 5.245 Mln, Continuing Claims Spike–Housing Starts Pace Slows to 1.216 Mln SAAR, Permits Slow to 1.353 Mln–April Philadelphia Fed Index Drops To -56.6, Echoing Drop in Empire Survey By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The growth rate of initial claims slowed further in the April 11 week […]

BANK OF CANADA’S POLOZ: BETTER ECONOMIC OUTLOOK IS ACHIEVABLE

By Gloria Galloway OTTAWA (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada is laying out two economic prospects for the country as it recovers from devastating effects of the global pandemic – one positive and one negative – but the bank’s governor says he is optimistic that the better-case scenario is achievable. In its Monetary Policy Report […]

DATA FLASH: US RETAIL SALES PLUNGE 8.7% AS CONSUMERS STAYED HOME

–Food Store Sales Jump 25.6%, Most Other Categories Fall Sharply–Empire State Index Drops to -78.2 in April from -21.5 in March–Industrial Production Falls 5.4%, Manufacturing Down 6.3%, Lows Since 1946 By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – As U.S. consumers heeded government warnings to remain home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and most business were […]

WHITE HOUSE WATCH: RIDING THE WAVE OF OPTIMISM; WILL IT LAST?

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Whew, that was brutal but it’s finally over. After all, Amazon hit an all-time high, and Apple, Google, Tesla finished strong. The markets look into the future and the markets are telling us it can’t be all that bad, right? Or should we be bracing for the Second Wave? […]

BofA GLOBAL RESEARCH FUND MANAGER SURVEY: RECESSION FEARS DOMINATE

–In April, Global Investors Extremely Pessimistic Re World Growth By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Recession fears dominated in April, with global investors extremely pessimistic about world growth prospects in the wake of the spread of COVID-19, according to the findings of BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. A record net […]

DATA FLASH: US MARCH IMPORT PRICES FALL 2.3% ON FUEL PLUNGE

–Excluding Fuels, Import Prices Were Flat on Mixed Components By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. import prices fell by 2.3% in March, primarily on a 26.8% plunge in fuel prices. Outside of the fuel price drop, import prices were flat, with mixed components. Analysts had expected overall import prices to fall by 3.1% after […]