U.S. retail sales
Several Significant Developments for Investors to Process
August 15, 2023
Chinese July data have deepened concerns about the world’s second largest economy. Weaker-than-anticipated on-year growth in China’s retail sales of 2.5% was down from 8.2% in the first half of 2023. Industrial production growth of 3.7% year-on-year also undershot expectations. The unemployment rate edged up to a 4-month high of 5.3%, and fixed asset investment […] More
Investors Spooked Ahead of Today’s FOMC Minutes, Not Reacting Immediately to Other Data
August 17, 2022
FOMC Minutes due at 14:00 EDT are expected to accentuate the primacy of restoring price stability even if that means a continuing rapid rise of interest rates amid a slowing economy. The dollar, which has done well in times when the mood has turned risk averse, advanced overnight by 1.2% against the Australian dollar, 0.9% […] More
Few Rays of Hope
May 17, 2022
Euroland GDP growth last quarter was revised marginally higher. British labor market data showed greater resilience than imagined, and Chinese officials indicated progress against Covid and plans to reopen Shanghai. Recent U.S. earnings reports from retailers have exceeded expectations. Share prices rallied Tuesday, closing up 3.3% in Hong Kong, 2.6% in India, 1.0% in Taiwan, […] More
U.S. Retail Sales, New BOJ Forecasts, and Some Euroland Data
July 16, 2021
Among today’s awaited events, U.S. retail sales will be reported within the half hour. Meantime, the Bank of Japan Board left policy settings unchanged and released new macro-economic forecasts. BOJ Governor Kuroda said economic activity will remain low for the time being as a result of the need for enhanced Covid restrictions. Revised Euroland CPI […] More
Awaiting U.S. Data and Wednesday’s FOMC Developments
March 16, 2021
Data releases in Asia and Europe were light this Tuesday, but U.S. retail sales, industrial production, import prices, capacity utilization, and NAHB housing index are due shortly. Today is also the first of a two-day FOMC policy review that will include the quarterly update of macroeconomic and interest rate forecasts as well as Chairman Powell’s […] More
Coronavirus Infections Climb and Negotiations Stumble
October 16, 2020
Global and U.S. Covid-19 cases rose over the last day by 434k and 65k, while the possibility of a vaccine before the U.S. election is growing more doubtful. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. will opt for no trade deal with the EU unless European leaders make substantial further concessions. That’s not going […] More
And the Dollar Downbeat Goes On
September 16, 2020
FOMC Day in America finds the dollar struggling to tread water. The U.S. currency slipped further to a 16-month low against the Chinese yuan and a 7-week low relative to the yen and is hovering near a 5-year low against the Swiss franc and a 2-1/2 year low against the euro. Overnight losses in the […] More
Pessimism Gaining Upper Hand in Financial Marketplace
April 15, 2020
Projected contractions in real GDP this year embodied in the IMF’s World Economic Outlook would make this the weakest calendar year economic performance since the early 1930s. The Washington-based group foresees activity falling by 3.0% in the world, 5.9% in the United States, 7.5% in Euroland, 6.5% in the U.K., 6.2% in Canada, and 5.2% […] More
Greater Pessimism Surrounding Brexit, U.S.-China, and Global Growth
October 16, 2019
Investor confidence regarding the main geopolitical risks of Brexit and U.S.-Sino trade continue to flip-flop seemingly on a daily basis, often without any concrete new actions. Still no deal on Brexit has been announced with the main sticking point being the handling of Northern Ireland’s border with Ireland, and time is getting exceedingly short. Trade […] More
A Fresh Worry: Chinese Growth Slowed Last Month
May 15, 2019
Asian stock markets had taken the North America upward cue, posting gains on Wednesday of 1.9% in China, 0.6% in Japan and Hong Kong, 0.4% in Taiwan, and 0.5% in South Korea but that was before news of soft Chinese industrial production, retail sales, and business investment. In European trading, stocks are down 1.0% in […] More
