• May 2, 2018
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On Wednesday, the U.S. central bank released its latest policy statement, maintaining a target benchmark interest rate range of 1.5%-1.75%. Wall Street had expected the Fed would make no changes to its interest rate policy on Wednesday after raising rates in March for the sixth time since the financial crisis. Wednesday’s announcement was not accompanied

• April 30, 2018
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The PCE index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose to 2% year over year from a 1.7% pace in February, hitting the central bank’s target for the first time in a year. The 12-month increase in the more closely followed core rate of inflation was close behind, rising to 1.9% in March from 1.6%

• April 30, 2018
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The economics calendar will bring us the monthly jobs report, which should show the U.S. economy continues to create jobs in the 10th year of the economic recovery. Economists expect the economy added 185,000 jobs in April, a rebound from March’s disappointing headline jobs gain while the unemployment rate is expected to drop to 4% after

• April 27, 2018
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U.S. economic growth cooled last quarter as consumers pulled back following outsize spending in the prior period, though solid business investment cushioned some of the weakness. Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced in the nation, rose at a 2.3 percent annualized rate after climbing 2.9 percent in the prior quarter,

• March 27, 2018
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Home prices in the U.S. started 2018 on the rise, outpacing the rate of economic growth. Standard & Poor’s said Tuesday that its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index reported a 6.2% annual gain in January, down slightly from 6.3% in December. The 20-City Composite rose 6.4% from a year ago, and after seasonal

• March 23, 2018
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GDP growth likely will be slow in the first quarter — as low as 1.4 percent, according to a UBS estimate — but should accelerate strongly later in the year. Bank of America Merrill Lynch sliced its growth estimate from 2.3 percent to 1.7 percent for Q1 but maintained its full-year 2.9 percent forecast. Earlier

• March 22, 2018
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The Federal Reserve raised rates for a sixth time since the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee began raising rates off near-zero in December 2015. Chairman Jerome Powell will take questions after the rate-hike decision. Fed still expects 3 rate hikes this year, but will pick up the pace in 2019.

• March 22, 2018
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The U.K.’s central bank held rates at their current 0.5 percent level on Thursday, amid lower-than-expected inflation figures and modest improvements to wage increases.

• March 17, 2018
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The US economy is experiencing healthy economic growth and a strong labor market. Combined those are increasing the risk of rising inflation and higher interest rates.  This could lead to reduced house-buying power.

• March 16, 2018
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U.S. consumer sentiment rose more the anticipated in the preliminary March reading.  The survey reaches a level not seen since 2004.  Optimistic mentions regarding recent tax reform legislation were weighed down, however, by negative views of steel and aluminum, the survey found.