Tag Archives: business

What Should Fed Do–Part II?

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Friday’s ‘official’ April US unemployment report was even more surprising than Fed Chairman Powell’s dovish remarks after the Fed’s May FOMC meeting, as if Powell might have known that April’s unemployment report would be weaker. It was, … Continue reading →

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Elevated Rates Endangering Economy

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Early predictions show first quarter economic growth picking up, but a little-known indicator of future growth, the Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) in March highlighted the danger that high interest rates hold for future growth. … Continue reading →

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Strong Growth Will Continue

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs There’s a good reason we have avoided a recession, I said last week. Consumers’ personal financial conditions have improved, so they continue to shop, and they are responsible for 70 percent of economic activity. Now the Conference Board’s … Continue reading →

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Retail Inflation Is the Problem

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly There is a reason the Biden administration wants to prevent the merger of Kroger and Albertsons Supermarket chains. It lowers competition at a time when the largest retailers are now responsible for much of the inflation that … Continue reading →

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Slower Retail Sales, Lower Inflation?

Posted on February 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The New Year is proving to have lots of ups and downs as consumer spending slows from the holidays. Tax season is afoot, of course, a time when consumers tend to save more and spend less. That’s why … Continue reading →

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Soft Landing, What’s Next?

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The US economy has landed with the huge Q4 GDP growth spurt of 3.3 percent, and 335,000 nonfarm payroll jobs created, and inflation close to the Fed’s 2% target rate. What happens next? It looks like it’s … Continue reading →

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Will 2024 Be Even Better?

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The US economy grew either 2.5 percent or 3.1 percent annually in 2023, whichever GDP growth indicator you choose. Why such strong growth when the rest of the world is still recovering from the COVID pandemic? Even … Continue reading →

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US Economy Has Landed

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly There is no longer any doubt with the initial estimate of fourth quarter GDP growth just in. The US economy has made a soft landing. The economy grew 3.3 percent in Q4 after a 4.9 percent increase … Continue reading →

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Much Less Pessimism

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Is the Irrational Pessimism I’ve been writing about finally turning into a more rational optimism that reflects how consumers see the current economy? The two major measures of consumer confidence—the Conference Board’s Confidence Index and University of Michigan’s … Continue reading →

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No Recession At All?

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Ho hum, another good economic number. December retail sales are telling us why we have avoided a recession this year. It’s because consumers have increased rather than reduced their spending ways. Sales at retailers jumped +0.6 percent … Continue reading →

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