Goldman Sachs expects oil to reach $100 a barrel in the second half of this year, citing less-than-expected demand damage from the Omicron variable, as well as increased supply disruptions. According to Reuters, the US bank expected, in a note dated Monday, that Brent crude prices would reach $90 a …
Read More »The 10-Year US Treasury Yield Rose to a Two-Year High
The yield on US 10-year Treasury bonds rose to a two-year high on Tuesday, in a sign that investors are preparing for more aggressive measures by the Federal Reserve. Investors are awaiting the Federal Reserve’s meeting next week, coinciding with a rise in the inflation rate, which recorded its highest …
Read More »US Retail Spending, Manufacturing Collectively Drop As Omicron, Inflation Surge
Retail sales dropped 1.9% in December, a big slowdown at the holiday season’s end; manufacturing output fell for first time since SeptemberIn a confirmation hearing for his second term as Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell said the central bank would use its tools to tamp down inflation. US retail spending …
Read More »US Consumer Sentiment Drops in January 2022
Consumer Sentiment has recorded the second-lowest reading in a decade. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index has recorded a dip of 2.5% in early January 2022 from its level in December 2021, according to preliminary results released Friday.The MCSI now stands at its second-lowest level in a decade, the …
Read More »US Retail Sales Slide by 1.9% in December
US Retail Sales fell by 1.9% MoM in December, according to data published by the US Census Bureau revealed on Friday. That was well below market expectations for a MoM decline of -0.1% and marked a sharp deceleration from November’s growth rate of 0.2% (downwardly revised from 0.3%). That meant …
Read More »Volatile Natural Gas Market Leads to More Dependence on Coal
A new report from Rhodium Group suggested that the United States may have to play catch-up to regain progress in the fight against climate change following a year of volatile natural gas prices that led to more reliance on less expensive coal increased greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. In its …
Read More »World Central Banks Start Turning Off Cash Taps
Global Central Banks Start Turning Off Cash TapsAs speculation grows about when the US Federal Reserve will begin reducing the size of its balance sheet, some analysts say the era of “quantitative tightening” has already started and “quantitative easing” is over.Central bank balance sheets have ballooned since the pandemic struck …
Read More »Do US Wholesale Prices Signal Easing Hot Inflation?
Wholesale inflation still shows lots of upward pressure on prices in the economy. The numbers: Wholesale prices rose just 0.2% in December to mark the smallest increase in 13 months, perhaps a sign that high inflation is finally starting to ease after the biggest run-up in nearly 40 years.The increase …
Read More »Annual PPI Rises to 9.7% in December
The headline US Producer Price Index (PPI) rose at an annual pace of 9.7% in December, according to the latest report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday. That marked a new series record high (PPI was first reported back in 2011) but was slightly below the median …
Read More »Fed Speakers See Rate Increases As Early As March
The President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Mary Daly has stated that the Federal Reserve Bank does not want to get too far ahead on calling a number of rate increases.She explained that they definitely see rate increases as early as March because inflation is …
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