by Mark Chandik | Jan 9, 2023
Weekly Market Commentary The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported another respectable employment number on Friday, illustrating that modest economic growth and a still-high number of job openings are boosting payrolls. But it was a smaller-than-forecast rise in...
by Mark Chandik | Jan 4, 2023
Weekly Market Commentary The market had a banner year in 2021, with the S&P 500 Index advancing over 25%, according to data from the St. Louis Federal Reserve. But tailwinds that fueled gains shifted dramatically in 2022. No longer were the economic fundamentals...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 30, 2022
Weekly Market Commentary “The unfortunate cost of reducing inflation” could bring “some pain to households and businesses,” Fed Chief Jay Powell remarked in August. Pain is rarely distributed evenly. Some folks go unscathed, while others bear the brunt of the...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 19, 2022
Weekly Market Commentary After four-straight 75 basis-point (bp, 1 bp = 0.01%) rate increases, the Federal Reserve downshifted and boosted its key rate, the fed funds rate, by 50 bp last week to 4.25 – 4.50%. But it didn’t muddy its hard-hitting anti-inflation...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 12, 2022
Weekly Market Commentary The Federal Reserve, interest rates, and inflation have been big topics this year. Chatter about a possible recession has been part of the conversation, too. A few weeks ago, we looked at the enormous amount of stimulus cash that remains in...
by Mark Chandik | Dec 5, 2022
Weekly Market Commentary Can there be too much hiring? Can job growth be too fast? It seems like an odd question. But following a better-than-expected jobs report on Friday and the initial negative reaction (shares pared losses and finished mixed), the question is...
