Tag Archives: finance

Q2 Economic Growth Is…?

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Estimates of 2024 second quarter economic growth have been all over the map, but I will attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Firstly, GDP growth is mostly dependent on consumer spending, which makes … Continue reading →

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Fewer Jobs, Lower Rates?

Posted on July 6, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly June’s unemployment report was weaker than expected. It looks like the labor market is slowing enough to convince the Fed that interest rates should come down. Not only fewer nonfarm payroll jobs were added to payrolls, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Housing, housing market, Keynesian economics, Politics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

U.S. Economy Still Too Hot?

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The battle is intensifying between the Fed Governors’ inflation doves and hawks as we approach November. Chairman Powell says inflation is getting closer to the Fed’s 2 percent target when we enter the 3rd quarter 2024, but he’s … Continue reading →

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Consumers Not So Confident?

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner What are we to make of the Conference Board’s latest confidence survey? “The decline in confidence between May and June was centered on consumers aged 35-54. By contrast, those under 35 and those 55 and older saw … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Falter–What May Follow?

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs American consumers are tiring after two years of no relief from higher prices and interest rates. They are now looking for bargains everywhere in the latest retail sales report from the Census Bureau. It’s the second month of … Continue reading →

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No More Inflation?

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly It will probably be hard to believe for those scarred by the post-pandemic inflation scare that inflation isn’t declining, but there was no inflation increase in May for both wholesale (PPI) and retail (CPI) inflation indexes. Yes, … Continue reading →

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Fed’s Preferred Inflation Indicator Softens

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The latest economic data show the US economy slowed in Q1 2024, but economic growth should increase in the second quarter because consumers will continue to spend. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the best measure of overall consumer … Continue reading →

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Where’s the Recession?

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The most recent Harris-Guardian poll found 56 percent of those surveyed thought the US was in a recession. And 49 percent believed unemployment was at a 50-year high. How is that possible when the economic facts are exactly … Continue reading →

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Q2 Economic Growth Any Better?

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner The initial estimate of first quarter 2024 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was less than expected (1.6%), causing financial markets to panic, even though economic growth is better than the initial estimate is reporting, I said last … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Decline Worrying

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The bad news might be good news, though it presages further grief for some consumers. Retail sales didn’t increase at all in April, and the Consumers Price Index showed lower inflation, with its annual rate dropping to 3.4 … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumers, COVID-19, Economy, Macro Economics, Weekly Financial News | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment