For the first time in 4 years the overall debt of US households rose on a year-over-year basis. Consumer deleveraging seems to be finally slowing.
Consumer spending in the US accelerated in November, boosting projections for the GDP growth in the fourth quarter. While incomes grew as well, the rate of increases from the same period last year has slowed. With confidence improving, consumers have i…
One can list numerous reasons for tepid economic expansion in the US. One explanation is that the US households and businesses are relentlessly bombarded with issues that generate uncertainty. Many of these issues carry the so-called economic “tail ris…
This is a syndicated repost published with the permission of Sober Look. To view original, click here. Opinions herein are not those of the Wall Street…
US fuel prices continue to rise. August NYMEX gasoline futures price cleared $3/gal a couple of days ago and is now at the highest level for 2013.
As discussed previously, economists maintain that in spite of the slowdown in manufacturing, the US consumer should provide the necessary lift to improve growth. According to the theory, with consumer confidence improving, the spending should follow. B…
The “seasonal” manufacturing activity slowdown in the US (discussed here) has arrived on schedule. It is visible not just in the Markit PMI measure (below), but across other national and regional indicators as well.
This is a syndicated repost published with the permission of Sober Look. To view original, click here. Opinions herein are not those of the Wall Street…
US consumer confidence (discussed here) may end up being somewhat better than initially thought. The sentiment figures from the University of Michigan (as opposed to the Conference Board measure) actually improved in August, though remain below th…
Here’s the bulk of the Fed’s press release with my comments and bolded sections. Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest overall economic activity…
