US Rapid Response Employment Report (Apr.) April’s employment report was weaker across the board; with employment growth slowing back to the pace from last fall, the unemployment rate ticking up to 3.9% and average hourly earnings growth... 3rd May 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response International Trade (Mar.) & Productivity (Q1) The trade deficit narrowed slightly in March to $69.4bn, from $69.5bn, with exports down by 2.0% m/m and imports falling by 1.6%. The $5.1bn decline in goods exports included a $1.2bn drop in civilian... 2nd May 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Fed Policy Announcement (May) The Fed admitted in the statement issued after today’s FOMC meeting that “in recent months, there has been a lack of further progress toward the… 2% inflation objective”. Otherwise, today’s statement... 1st May 2024 · 1 min read
US Rapid Response US ISM Manufacturing Index (Apr. 2024) The fall in the ISM manufacturing index back below the theoretical 50.0 no-change level in April suggests that the nascent recovery in the manufacturing sector may already have gone into reverse... 1st May 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Employment Cost Index (Q1) The persistence of wage growth is another reason for the Fed to take its time on rate cuts. According to the first-quarter employment cost index, civilian wages increased at a 1.1% non-annualised pace... 30th April 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Income & Spending (Mar.) The slightly bigger-than-expected 3.7% annualised first-quarter gain in the core PCE deflator was principally because January’s gain was revised up to 0.50% from 0.45%. Nevertheless, the 0.32%... 26th April 2024 · 1 min read
US Rapid Response US Retail Sales (Mar.) The strong rise in retail sales in March and upward revision to February’s data will further support the Fed’s stance that there is no rush to start lowering interest rates. 15th April 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Fed Minutes (Mar. 19-20) The minutes of the March meeting suggest that there is still scope for at least a couple of interest rate cuts later this year and confirm that the Fed is likely to soon slow the pace of its balance... 10th April 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Consumer Prices (Mar.) Alongside the pick-up in monthly payroll employment gains, the third consecutive 0.4% m/m rise in core CPI pretty much kills off hopes of a June rate cut from the Fed. The annual core CPI inflation... 10th April 2024 · 2 mins read
US Rapid Response Employment Report (Mar.) The blockbuster 303,000 increase in non-farm payrolls in March supports the Fed’s position that the resilience of the economy means it can take its time with rate cuts, which might now not begin until... 5th April 2024 · 3 mins read