There were several recent market moving reports, including some positive data on U.S. and Chinese manufacturing. But, the biggest news was the seemingly positive March employment data which sent equity markets up, as the initial take on the headline Establishment Survey (ES) data (+196k) fit the narrative that the soft economic patch is now passing and a recession will be avoided. Because it doesn’t fit the narrative, there has been …Read More
Barone: Housing doldrums a supply problem
One of the key indicators of U.S. economic health is housing – both the turnover of the existing housing stock and the construction of new units. Existing home sales, new home sales, and housing starts all peaked earlier this year. Given the health of the U.S. consumer, as vividly demonstrated in the employment and auto sales data, it is puzzling why the housing numbers now appear to be so anemic. …Read More
How inflation may force millennials to reconsider risk
Originally published on Marketwatch.com http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-inflation-may-force-millennials-to-reconsider-risk-2014-12-02?dist=afterbell Millennials are people born after 1980. I’ve seen sources that give differing dates, but I think being born between about 1980 and 2000 qualifies you as a millennial. Pew Research has done some interesting polling and found that millennials grew up with technology, like video games, send lots of text messages and tend to get married later. They also put off homeownership until later in …Read More