DATA FLASH: US APRIL CONFIDENCE FELL FURTHER, BUT EXPECTATIONS IMPROVE
By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Conference Board’s U.S. consumer confidence index Tuesday fell to a reading of 86.9 in April from a downward revised 118.8 reading in March, as business and employment conditions deteriorated rapidly due to the COVID-19 shutdown. And while the assessment of current conditions posted their largest one-month decline in […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: VIRUS TESTING FINALLY REACHES ‘BLUEPRINT’ STAGE
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Even as the stock market and the White House look for better times ahead and soon, corona virus risks for older Americans seem to be increasing. By the end Thursday of a single month in which more than 50,000 Americans have died already, the total will have topped 60,000. […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: JUNGLE DRUMS IN THE DISTANCE SOUND LIKE TROUBLE
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – You can feel the rumble of distant war drums even before you can hear them, in the nation’s capital of all places, as the Trump administration faces a renewed wave of criticism – just as it might, finally, be least deserved. “Might” could be a leap, because there is […]
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. […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH COMMENTARY: TIME A FLUID CONCEPT IN WORLD OF VIRUS
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The corona virus particle is identical around the world as is the basic physiology of the human organism it has evolved to use as a host and yet the reaction to its arrival and spread are so different and along timelines that can vary by months. Australia announced Thursday […]
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, […]
US ENERGY SECRETARY: INDUSTRY AID TO FOCUS ON EXISTING PROGRAMS
–Oil-Producing States Cooperating To Influence Oil Price A ‘Murky Area’ WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette Tuesday said the Trump administration is unlikely to unveil brand-new measures to support the country’s battered oil and gas sector, and will instead leverage existing credit programs funded by emergency legislation. In an interview on CNBC, Brouillette […]
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 […]
DATA FLASH: US EXISTING HOME SALES PLUNGE IN MARCH, FIRST OF MANY DIPS
–NAR’s Yun Sees Continued Disruptions, Lower Inventories, Higher Prices By Kevin Kastner WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – U.S. home resales slowed dramatically in March, falling by 8.5% to a 5.27 million annual rate after a February gain, the slowest pace since April 2019 and below the 5.40 million rate expected. The current month’s data still reflect some […]
WHITE HOUSE WATCH: IS OIL SPECIAL OR LOTS OF BOTTOMLESS HOLES?
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – It’s the night of the living dead in Houston, where the unthinkable happened, oil became worthless. In fact, oil became even worse than worthless. It was a day so bad that you had to pay people to take it. If you were a trader who never took delivery, only […]