by Mark Chandik | Aug 26, 2024
Fed Chief Powell’s much-anticipated speech against the picturesque backdrop of the Grand Tetons in Jackson Hole, WY, virtually assures that the Fed will reduce interest rates next month. In a short 16-minute speech, Powell said the magic words. “The time has come for...
by Mark Chandik | Aug 19, 2024
Markets settled down in Japan, and the latest economic reports in the U.S. aren’t signaling that the economy is headed for an imminent recession. These factors sparked a strong rally in U.S. stocks last week. Led by a 3.6% rise in auto sales, the U.S. Census Bureau...
by Mark Chandik | Aug 12, 2024
Ask the average investor what inflation or unemployment is, and they can probably give you a good working definition. Ask them about the ‘carry trade,’ and you’ll likely get a blank stare. Even the term itself isn’t intuitive. But a sudden unwinding of the carry trade...
by Mark Chandik | Aug 5, 2024
As expected, the Federal Reserve kept its key rate, the fed funds rate, unchanged at 5.25 – 5.50%. After holding the fed funds rate steady for a year, Fed Chief Jay Powell twice-mentioned that a September rate cut is on the table at his press conference. The Federal...
by Mark Chandik | Jul 29, 2024
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the largest measure of goods and services, expanded at a brisk annualized pace of 2.8% in the second quarter. That’s up from 1.4% in the first quarter and well ahead of...