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.
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 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.
It turns out that China’s stock market remains a market after all, despite the Chinese government’s best efforts. Prices on the Shanghai Composite Index fell 8.5 percent on Monday and another 1.7 percent Tuesday, stripping away more than half of the gain since the last bottom.
After discouraging news the week before, last week’s U.S. economic data came in generally positive, suggesting that the economy continues to move forward despite ongoing headwinds.
July 24, 2015
I’ve been saying for a while now that the employment market is approaching boom times, and the initial jobless claims number that came out yesterday backs me up. The number of people who filed new applications for unemployment insurance dropped to a 41-year low this past month, down to a level last seen in 1973.
Although my expectations are for slower growth in the economy, this is actually a positive thing for stocks in the long term. Where are the areas of potential opportunity for investors? Hear what I discussed in an appearance yesterday on CNBC's Power Lunch program.
July 23, 2015
Not that long ago, we were discussing the inevitable financial collapse of the U.S. Deficits were through the roof, so was the debt, and all that remained was to find out just how it would end, with a bang or a whimper.
Several readers have reached out to me regarding news articles with headlines like “Clinton to Propose Increasing Capital Gains Taxes,” wanting to know the implications of this and what we should do.
Last week brought a slew of disappointing economic data releases that, together, suggest the U.S. recovery may be slowing. On the bright side, international concerns died down somewhat.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks, to say the least.
In the words of Lenin, someone I don’t normally quote, “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” These past few weeks have seen a great deal of change around the world.
