Last week was all about the February employment report, which surprised to the upside for the second month in a row. This was the last remaining hurdle the economy needed to clear before a Federal Reserve interest rate hike, and the positive results essentially ensured that the hike will happen as expected this week.
March 10, 2017
The data for February was positive across the board, recovering from some slight pullbacks the previous month. The indicators we track here continue to point toward economic expansion, which is encouraging following the downtrend established in 2016. This marks the fourth straight month of positive data, indicating that the current uptrend may be here to stay.
March 9, 2017
The employment report is probably the most important economic report of them all. Jobs drive everything about the economy, and they serve as the single best window into how things are really going.
March 8, 2017
After the market's record-setting run, we’re now seeing a small pullback. This seems an appropriate time to take a look back at history and evaluate where we stand—not so much on the valuation and risk front, but with a general eye to how the market behaves over time and how we should react.
Will the stock market rally continue? That’s a big question right now, and the answer will depend on two things:
March 6, 2017
Last week’s data extends the string of surprisingly strong sentiment and headline news, and even the weaker reports were better than they looked on the surface. With both consumer and business confidence rising, and the Federal Reserve feeling more upbeat as well, the recovery appears to be continuing.
March 3, 2017
Most of my posts and media interviews lately have revolved around one country: the U.S. Today, we'll take a break from the “all U.S., all the time" show to look up at the rest of the world. It’s a big planet, with a lot going on.
March 2, 2017
With the Dow cracking 21,000 yesterday, just over a month after breaking 20,000—and other indices setting records as well—there are a few questions we need to ask.
March 1, 2017
February was another "wow" month for markets. All three major U.S. indices rose substantially, and markets around the world also did quite well.
February 28, 2017
Tonight, President Trump will give his first address to Congress—essentially a State of the Union. He has a lot to talk about, and it will be interesting to see what he chooses to focus on.
