Category: The Economy

2018 was a pretty dramatic year for most people.

2018 was a pretty dramatic year for most people. The markets soared to new heights and became extremely volatile. Bitcoin crashed. The Fed increased interest rates, the principal value of bonds fell, yields rose and inflation ticked up past the...

Is the Markets Narrative Changing?

Could Low Interest Rates and the Low Cost of Energy Propel the Markets Higher? The current thesis that low energy prices creates a proxy and is indicative of poor GDP performance due to a lack of demand, manifested by the...

Was the Fed Forced to Go Wrong With Quantitative Easing?

Did Congress force the Federal Reserve to go wrong with the bond-buying program known as quantitative easing? The cost of quantitative easing according to strategists such as Athanasios Vamvakidis at Bank of America could be the Federal Reserve’s unconventional monetary...

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION – BLS Report

Released October 2nd 2015 for SEPTEMBER 2015 The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment Increased by 142,000 in September, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.1 percent, Job gains occurred in health care and information, while...

ISM Index Falls to 49 Signaling Contraction

Market Watch Reported The Institute for Supply Management Index Fell to 49 from 50.7% in April. The Index was expected to rise to 51. This was the ISM Index’s Third Straight Monthly Decline. ISM Index Readings Below 50 Indicate Contraction...

May Manufacturing Index Rises

The May Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index Rose to 52.3 from 52.1 in April.  Aprils’ Level was a 6 Month Low. The Initial Estimate for May was 51.9. “The May Survey Paints a Downbeat Picture of U.S. Manufacturing Business Conditions. Output,...

Bernanke to Testify on Economic Outlook

The Concerns About the Economy, the Markets Hitting New Highs and the Debate About the Decoupling of the Markets From the Real Economy May be About to Get Some More Definition Wednesday. The Prevailing View is That the Markets Recent...

The Business Cycle, Why It’s Important

The Business Cycle. It has four stages. They Include: Recession Trough Expansion Peak The four stages of the business cycle helps companies, organizations, government and investors determine how to allocate capital. This is because the stage of the Business Cycle...

Unemployment Falls, Markets Rise

It’s Been a Wild and Wooly Week for the Markets This Past Week. Unemployment Dropped to 7.5%, The Dow Broke 15,000, the S&P 500 Closed at 1614, the NASDAQ Finished at 3378 and the 10 Year Treasury Stands at 1.75%....