Weekly Market Recap – January 28, 2022 The Fed indicated it would begin increasing interest rates in March. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the oldest member of the current Supreme Court, announced his intention to retire. Monthly economic statistics, compared with previous values were as follows: durable goods orders -0.9% vs. +3.2%, new home sales 811,000

Weekly Market Recap – January 21, 2022 The news of the week, in addition to the ongoing pandemic coverage, the weather, and the economy, is now also focused on Russia’s plans concerning Ukraine. Martin Luther King Jr. Day shortened the business week, which saw a shorter than usual list of economic statistic reports. These, compared

Weekly Market Recap – January 14, 2022 The London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) has died at the age of 52. The benchmark began losing credibility in 2008, and the British Bankers Association announced in 2017 that it would ultimately be removed from use by the international banking industry. The last Libor deals were executed on

Weekly Market Recap – January 7, 2022 The minutes released from the Federal Reserve’s December meeting show that high inflation is convincing central bank officials to rethink their policy path. Monthly economic statistics reported during the week, compared with prior releases, were as follows: construction spending +0.4% vs. +0.4%, consumer credit $20 billion vs. $17

Weekly Market Recap – December 31, 2021 As the year was winding down, pandemic news continued ramping up. The U.S. COVID-19 death toll for 2021 was roughly 435,000 compared with 385,000 in 2020 (a 13% increase). Although the holiday week that closed 2021 was a full 5 days long, it was short on economic statistics.

Weekly Market Recap – December 23, 2021 U.S. coronavirus pandemic statistics have been monopolizing the news. Nationwide, the seven-day moving average for COVID-19 related deaths reached 1,481 (up 22% from a week ago). New cases averaged 176,829 (a 40% increase from the previous week), and hospitalizations rose 3% to an average daily admission level of

Weekly Market Recap – December 17, 2021 COVID-19 statistics have dominated the news every day of the week. The Omicron variant has now been detected in all 50 states. Congress gave final approval to raise the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion. Monthly economic statistics, compared with previous levels, were as follows: the producer price index

Weekly Market Recap – December 10, 2021 As the week came to a close, a series of deadly tornadoes began to strike the U.S. heartland with wind speeds up to 150 mph. The ensuing destruction across six states caused countless deaths and injuries as it leveled entire communities. Monthly economic statistics, compared with prior months

Weekly Market Recap – December 3, 2021 New COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are up 36% from a month ago. As of Friday, the Omicron variant had been detected in 10 states. The Fed’s intentions of addressing inflation may be evidenced by the Treasury yield curve flattening more; it is now at its narrowest in

Weekly Market Recap – November 26, 2021 On Friday, Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant took the oxygen out of newsrooms. Detected first in South Africa, this mutation is being described as potentially more contagious than the Delta variant. It is unknown whether the currently available vaccines will provide protection from it. The economic statistics for