Category: Macro
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Oil Closes Near Stability, Awaiting OPEC+
The oil prices closed with no clear direction but close to stability, after having risen 6% in the last two sessions due to the expectation of further production cuts to be announced by OPEC+ over the weekend. This outlook remains, but the rally has stalled, at least for now. Prices briefly dropped by a little…
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Fed Indicate a Possibility Of Further Interest Rate Hikes If Inflation Doesn’t Decline Sufficiently
Members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) agreed in their latest interest rate decision that a new hike may be appropriate if economic data received indicate “insufficient progress” in reducing inflation. The information comes from the minutes released today, regarding the last meeting of the authority held in November when the U.S. interest rate…
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US Weekly Jobless Claims Rise More Than Expected
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits exceeded expectations last week, indicating that labor market conditions continued to show signs of easing. This development could potentially support the Federal Reserve’s efforts to combat inflation. For the week ending November 11, initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased by 13,000 to a seasonally…
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Retail Sales Slip In October As Consumers Pull Back After Summer Splurges
In October, Americans scaled back their retail spending, breaking a streak of six consecutive months of growth. However, this decline was partly attributed to decreasing prices for gasoline and automobiles. According to a report released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, retail sales decreased by 0.1% last month, following a robust 0.9% increase in September.…
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US Producer Prices Slide 0.5% In October, Biggest Drop Since 2020.
Wholesale prices experienced a significant decline last month as inflationary pressures continued to ease despite a year and a half of higher interest rates. According to a report by the Labor Department on Wednesday, the producer price index, which gauges inflation before it affects consumers, saw a 0.5% drop in October compared to September, marking…
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CPI Unchanged in October
Consumer prices in the US were unchanged in October, after rising 0.4 percent in September and compared with market expectations of a 0.1 percent increase. The index for shelter continued to rise in October, offsetting a decline in the gasoline index and resulting in the seasonally adjusted index being unchanged over the month. The energy…
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Without Commenting on Monetary Policy, Powell asks Fed Economists To Be Flexible in Forecasting Methods
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank must be willing to think beyond the complex mathematical simulations used for economic forecasts. “Intellectual rigor must be combined with flexibility and agility,” he said at a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the Division of Research and Statistics. “Our economy is flexible and dynamic and sometimes…
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September Trade Deficit Widens as Imports Outpace Exports
The US international trade deficit widened to $61.54 billion in September from a $58.66 billion gap in August, a wider deficit than the $59.8 billion gap expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:40 am ET. Both exports and imports increased, with the imports increasing faster. Imports of industrial supplies, capital goods, auto…
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Upcoming Week’s Global Economic and Financial Highlights – Nov 5th
In the upcoming week, the United States will see a flurry of activities, including speeches by several Federal Reserve officials, the release of the Michigan Consumer Sentiment index, and foreign trade data. Moreover, the earnings season will continue with reports from prominent companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, Gilead Sciences, Uber, and Walt Disney. Across the…
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Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged, Citing High Inflation And Firm Wage Gains; Treasury hits 2-week low
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) kept the United States’ benchmark interest rate unchanged in the range between 5.25% and 5.50% this Wednesday, in line with market consensus. Today’s FOMC decision was “unanimous.” In the statement released with the decision, the FOMC reported that recent indicators suggest that American activity has been expanding…