by Mark Chandik | Jun 16, 2025
Inflation remained mild in May, showing little upward pressure. According to last week’s report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose just 0.1% for the month, while the annual rate settled at 2.4%. The core CPI, which excludes...
by Mark Chandik | Jun 9, 2025
The US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that the US trade deficit fell a whopping 55% in April to $61.6 billion. In March, the grade gap stood at a record $138.3 billion. April exports rose $8.3 billion to a record $289.4 billion. April imports fell $68.4...
by Mark Chandik | Jun 2, 2025
Why is inflation widely unpopular among the public? Inflation erodes the value of money. Inflation introduces uncertainty about future prices, making it harder for households to plan budgets, save for long-term goals, or make major purchases. Those on fixed...
by Mark Chandik | May 27, 2025
Discussions of U.S. exceptionalism in the stock market stem from the consistent outperformance of major U.S. indexes compared to global markets. For example, over the past decade, the Global Dow is up about 103%, while the S&P 500 Index has risen by 180%,...
by Mark Chandik | May 19, 2025
On Friday, the University of Michigan reported that the Consumer Sentiment Index for the U.S. fell to the second-lowest reading on record, with the mid-May level falling to 50.8 from April’s 52.2. “Tariffs were spontaneously mentioned by nearly three-quarters of...
by Mark Chandik | May 5, 2025
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that first quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is the broadest measure of economic activity, fell at an annualized pace of 0.3%. Yet, a closer look reveals that the economy didn’t shrink in Q1. What happened?...
