by Mark Chandik | Jul 13, 2026
Just before the start of the war, WTI crude oil traded at about $67 per barrel, according to MarketWatch. By last week, the price of oil had fallen to within about $1 of its pre-war price. However, the same can’t be said for the average U.S. price of regular gasoline,...
by Mark Chandik | Jul 6, 2026
The recent pickup in job growth is welcome news for job seekers. But June’s jobs report left more questions than answers. Here’s why. Nonfarm payrolls rose by a smaller-than-expected 57,000 in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In...
by Mark Chandik | Jun 29, 2026
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding—a milestone known as the Semiquincentennial—the Declaration of Independence remains as important as ever. The treasured document declared the 13 colonies’ independence from Great Britain. It...
by Mark Chandik | Jun 22, 2026
The Federal Reserve surprised no one by holding its key rate, the fed funds rate, at 3.50–3.75%. But given the Fed’s full-throated rhetorical assault on inflation under newly installed Kevin Warsh, who took the helm from Jay Powell after his term expired, a surprise...
by Mark Chandik | Jun 16, 2026
The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provided investors with a modest sense of relief when it was released last Wednesday. According to the BLS, headline CPI rose 0.5% in May and is up 4.2% compared to a year ago,...
