More evidence the capital spending contraction is not over: CEO Confidence Goes From Bad to Worse Dec 1 (Fox Business) — CEO confidence in the U.S. economy is dwindling. The Business Roundtable CEO Economic Outlook Index for the 4Q, which looks out six months, fell to the lowest level in three years For third consecutive […]
Category Archives: Exports
Producer Prices, Industrial Production, Rail Traffic, Container Exports
This is not a reason to hike rates, but the Fed has other reasons beginning with their mistaken belief that the current policy is ‘highly accommodative’ and potentially inflationary, etc. etc. etc. when the opposite is the actual case: Up a bit more than expected, but all due to auto production, and yesterday’s wholesale trade […]
China, Germany, Productivity, NFIB Index, Redbook, Wholesale Trade
A few thoughts: China’s US Tsy holding had been falling perhaps because they were selling $ to buy Yuan to keep it within in the prior band. Pretty much all exporting nation’s currencies have already weakened vs the $, including the Yen and Euro, so this is a bit of a ‘catch up.’ In a […]
Challenger Layoffs, Claims, Trade Comments, Saudi Price Setting, Construction Detail
Not to worry, just the army announcing layoffs: Challenger Job-Cut Report Highlights A major Army cutback made for an outsized 105,696 layoff count in July. The Army said it is cutting 57,000 jobs over the next two years (note that Challenger counts layoffs at the time of announcement, not when layoffs actually occur). Heavy layoffs, […]
ISM, Employment, Trade
Nice jump up here to 2005 highs. First unambiguous positive indicator I’ve seen in quite a while. United States ISM Non Manufacturing PMI July 5 (Trading Economics) The ISM Non-manufacturing PMI index registered 60.3 percent in July, 4.3 percentage points higher than the June reading of 56 percent. It is the highest reading since August […]
Mortgage Purchase Apps, EU Retail Sales, Payroll Tax, ADP, Trade, Equity Comment
While still historically very low, purchase apps are now way up over last year’s particularly depressed levels. Some are replacing all cash buyers, but the increase is also in line with increased existing home sales. While new home sales were soft, turnover of existing homes has been increasing, and while not directly increasing GDP, existing […]
Chicago Fed, KC Fed, Japan Exports
Note the details and the conclusion: source: Econoday Highlights June proved to be a slightly stronger month for the economy than expected, based on the national activity index which came in at plus 0.08 vs Econoday expectations for a 0.05 dip. The 3-month average is still in the negative column though just barely at minus […]
LA Port Traffic, Greek Banks, Recession Without Financial Crisis
Another weak export report. No mention of the drop in oil prices reduced foreign incomes. LA area Port Traffic: Weakness in June by Bill McBride on 7/20/2015 09:57:00 AM Note: There were some large swings in LA area port traffic earlier this year due to labor issues that were settled on February 21st. Port traffic […]
macro update
At the beginning of 2013 the US let the FICA tax reduction and some of the Bush tax cuts expire and then in April the sequesters kicked totally some $250 billion of proactive deficit reduction. This cut 2013 growth from what might have been 4% to just over half that, peaking in Q3 and then […]
New home sales hammered, prompting doubts about recovery
Down and both prior months revised down as well. And this was before mtg rates spiked, and before mass layoffs were announced by mortgage originators, etc. And ‘months supply’ rose to a somewhat ‘normal’ 5.2 months of supply at the current sales pace, taking some wind out of the ‘supply shortage’ story. And a measure […]