The Independent Market Observer

Sam Millette

Sam Millette is director, fixed income, on the Investment Management and Research team at Commonwealth. With the firm since 2013, he manages the fixed income research team, responds to advisor requests, analyzes individual bonds, and authors market research and commentary. Sam graduated from Tufts University with a degree in economics and is a member of the CFA Society Boston.

Recent Posts

Monday Update: June Jobs Report Hints at Faster Recovery

July 6, 2020

Last week was packed with economic updates, with results largely beating expectations. For the second month in a row, the headline job report came in far above economist estimates, supporting hopes for a faster-than-anticipated economic recovery. This week, the economic update front will be relatively quiet, with highlights on service sector confidence, the weekly initial claims report, and producer inflation.

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Monday Update: Personal Spending Rebounds in May

June 29, 2020

This was a full week of economic updates, including reports on housing, consumer confidence and spending, and durable goods orders. May’s personal spending report was a highlight, as consumers showed they were willing and able to go out and spend once reopening efforts began in earnest. This will be another busy week on the economic update front, with reports on manufacturer and consumer confidence, international trade, and June employment.

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Monday Update: Retail Sales Beat Expectations

June 22, 2020

Last week saw a number of important data releases come in above expectations, notably May’s retail sales report and June’s home builder confidence report. This will be another busy week for economic updates, with highlights on home sales, May’s durable goods orders report, and the personal income and spending reports for May.

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Monday Update: Reopening Takes Hold, Consumer Confidence Jumps

June 15, 2020

Last week saw a number of important economic updates, with a focus on inflation, the Fed’s June meeting, and consumer confidence. June’s consumer confidence report was a highlight, revealing better-than-expected results that bode well for consumer spending growth. This week, which will be relatively quiet, will include important updates on May retail sales and the housing market in May and June.

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Monday Update: May Jobs Report Blows Away Expectations

June 8, 2020

Last week’s economic updates showed a stabilizing economy in May, with solid results for business confidence and employment during the month as highlights. This week, important reports will focus on inflation, the rate decision from the Fed’s June meeting, and consumer confidence.

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Monday Update: Consumer Confidence Stabilizes in May

June 1, 2020

Last week’s economic updates came in mixed, with the solid results for consumer confidence in May offset by historically bad spending figures in April. Once again, this week will be packed with updates, with a focus on business confidence, international trade, and the May employment report.

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Monday Update (on Tuesday): Housing Hit Hard by Pandemic in April

May 26, 2020

Last week continued to show the devastating effect that the pandemic had on the economy in April, with many of the updates focusing on weakness in the housing sector during the month. This will be a jam-packed week of economic reports, with updates scheduled that touch on wide swaths of the economy.

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Monday Update: Retail Sales and Industrial Production Plunge

May 18, 2020

Last week’s economic updates continued to show the devastating impact that shelter-in-place orders had on the economy in April, highlighted by historically bad retail sales and industrial production reports. This week will be relatively quiet for economic updates, with the focus on housing, the FOMC minutes, and the weekly initial jobless claims report.

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Monday Update: Unemployment Rate Soars to 14.7 Percent

May 11, 2020

The highlights of last week’s economic news were reports on trade, service sector confidence, and the jobs market. This week will be another busy one for updates, with releases scheduled on inflation, retail sales, industrial production, and consumer sentiment.

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Monday Update (on Tuesday): Longest Economic Expansion in U.S. History Ends

May 5, 2020

Last week saw the release of several important economic updates, with the initial look at economic growth in the first quarter drawing much of the attention. The pace of reports this week will be slower, but the release of April’s employment report on Friday will be closely monitored.

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