August 12, 2015
The shocks from the Chinese yuan devaluation continue to echo around the world.
Today, the currency had its second-worst day (after yesterday) since the modern Chinese foreign exchange system launched in 1994, falling a further 1.6 percent against the dollar. Markets were down around the world, and U.S. interest rates dropped substantially.
August 11, 2015
Some mornings I wake up and wonder what I should blog about. Not today. Looking at my phone in bed to scan the headlines, I couldn’t believe the news—China had devalued its currency! This is a big deal in the financial world.
August 10, 2015
Last week was a good one for the economy. The data released met expectations and, in many cases, substantially exceeded them. Overall, accelerating growth seems likely in the second half of the year, and first-half growth may turn out better than the initial reports suggested.
August 7, 2015
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve written about various headwinds the economy faces—among them, slow wage growth, a decline in consumer confidence, slow consumer spending growth, and declining business investment. All of these are real issues, and ones that have held the economy back over the past quarter.
At the same time, there’s been encouraging news this past week that suggests the slowdown, as last year, was temporary, and that faster growth is ahead.
August 6, 2015
Once again, it’s time for our monthly update on risk factors that have proven to be good indicators of economic trouble ahead.
For the first time in a while, there have been significant changes in two indicators—one encouraging and one more worrisome—but overall, conditions remain favorable.
August 5, 2015
In my latest Market Thoughts video, I discuss the U.S. and developed markets' recent bounce back after a difficult June. I also provide an update on U.S. economic performance, highlighting positive developments in the labor market.
August 4, 2015
Back in February, I looked at U.S. market valuations based on several different metrics, concluding that valuations were quite high—at or above the levels that prevailed before major corrections.
August 3, 2015
Slow but steady was the theme for last week. Although economic growth continues, the pace has not yet accelerated.
Despite some areas of concern, last week’s data was positive on the whole, showing continued moderate growth.
July 31, 2015
With oil prices down as much as they are, many investors are asking whether now is the time to buy. “Buy low, sell high” makes a lot of intuitive sense, and with prices low, buying looks like a good move.
July 30, 2015
In the past 24 hours, there have been two pieces of news that tell us a great deal about the economy today and also show us how things are likely to evolve over the next year or so.
