Last week saw the release of a number of important economic updates. February’s housing sales and durable goods orders reports continued to show the negative impact from winter weather during the month, but the recent initial jobless claims report and March’s consumer sentiment survey point toward potentially faster growth. This will be another busy week of updates, with a focus on consumer and manufacturer confidence as well as March’s employment report.

For the first time in several weeks, the big picture on the medical front has gotten worse. Case growth and positive test rates have ticked back up as the economy has reopened. While the change is relatively small so far, it is a reversal of previous improvements and signals that both reopening and the spread of more contagious variants are outpacing the positive effects of vaccinations. Faster spread has therefore moved from a potential risk to an actual one.

Today's post is from Anu Gaggar, senior investment research analyst.

Today's post was cowritten by Chris Stuart, senior investment research analyst.

Spring is here! I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to write this post. Mind you, spring started a couple of days ago, astronomically speaking. And, of course, spring started weeks ago in more southern states. But today the sun is shining, the birds are making a heck of a racket, and my son went off to school in shorts. So, it seems fair to call this the first day of spring, at least for me.

Last week saw the release of a number of important economic updates, including February’s retail sales and industrial production reports and a look into home builder confidence and new home construction. Many of the reports came in below expectations, driven in large part by the severe winter storms that affected much of the country throughout February. This will be another busy week for updates, with highlights to come on housing sales, durable goods orders, and personal income and spending.

Today, I'd like to provide an update on the coronavirus, including the economic and market implications. The medical situation continues to improve, as the vaccination campaign moves forward. Still, case growth remains above the levels seen between the second and third waves, and positive rates have not improved in weeks. We still have a very real pandemic on our hands.

Today's post is from Anu Gaggar, senior investment research analyst.

Today’s post is from Peter Essele, vice president of investment management and research.

The biggest financial and economic story in recent days has been around interest rates. Inflation worries flared up again with the passage of the most recent federal stimulus bill, on fears that dumping trillions of dollars into the economy would drive demand—and prices—up. Rates followed, with the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rising from 1.07 percent to a peak of 1.59 percent on March 8. Stock prices, especially for growth stocks, reacted by dropping, as higher rates usually mean lower valuations.