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Profits Comeback Paired With Rate Cuts Make a Powerful Mix
  + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: +1 min
Soft landing the U.S. economy is like an economic nirvana: inflation is low and the job market is strong. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos explains why and how the Federal Reserve is trying to make one happen. Photo illustration: Ryan TrefesProfits are growing again, and the Federal Reserve looks as if it will start cutting rates sometime this year. It is an unusual combination and, for the stock market, possibly a potent one. It is early days still, but the rebound in profits that began in the third quarter looks poised to continue.
Persons: Nick Timiraos, Trefes Organizations: Federal Reserve, Federal, London Stock Exchange Group
Cyclical industries such as manufacturing often drive profit cycles. That makes a comedown for the U.S. economy seem less likely. The Commerce Department on Wednesday reported that before-tax corporate profits rose 1.1% from a year earlier in the third quarter. This compares with a decline of 6% in the second quarter. Exclude the Fed, and corporate profits rose by 6.7% in the third quarter compared with a gain of 1.6% in the second.
Persons: Brian Kaiser Organizations: Bloomberg, Commerce Department, Federal Locations: U.S
Inflation’s Cooldown Gives the Fed Leeway
  + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
The personal-consumption expenditures price index is one of the Fed’s most closely watched gauges of inflation. Markets are betting the new data puts the Fed on pace to cut rates in 2024. That was its slimmest year-over-year gain since March 2021. Core prices, which exclude food and energy items in an effort to better track inflation’s underlying trend, rose 0.2% from September. That put them 3.5% above their year-earlier level for the smallest gain since April 2021.
Persons: Dion Rabouin, Rucosky Sit Organizations: The Commerce Department
The Price Is Wrong for Housing
  + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
October’s existing home sales report details the current state of the all-important U.S. housing market and how Americans reacted to mortgage rates that have declined, but still remain much higher than they have been in more than a decade. Photo:Lower rates would make U.S. houses more affordable, just not affordable enough. The pandemic set off a flurry of demand for housing. Americans’ newfound desire for space, the padding of U.S. household finances from government relief checks, and sub-3% mortgage rates were a potent mix that sent home prices skyward. Now the buying frenzy has passed and, with mortgage rates at their highest levels in over 20 years, not many homes are getting sold at all.
Persons: WSJ’s Dion Rabouin
American Shoppers Have Plenty of Dry Powder
  + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Justin Lahart | Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
People say they plan to spend $1,652, on average, this holiday season, according to a Deloitte survey. Photo: Joe Burbank/Associated PressAmericans say they are worried about the economy, and there certainly are reasons to question the staying power of consumer spending. That doesn’t mean they won’t spend heartily this holiday season. The U.S. consumer is in a funk, according to the U.S. consumer. The University of Michigan’s sentiment index, based on a long-running survey of households, remains far below prepandemic levels and lately has been near levels experienced in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Persons: Joe Burbank, haven’t Organizations: Deloitte, Associated Press, University of, Wall Street Locations: U.S
How Consumers Are Spending Is a Reason for Cheer
  + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Consumer spending almost certainly will be slower this quarter than last, but at this point it looks as if it will still be firm. Photo: Vanessa Carvalho/Zuma PressAmericans spent a bit less in stores last month. That hardly means it is the beginning of the end for the U.S. consumer. The Commerce Department on Wednesday reported that retail sales slipped 0.1% in October from September. That actually counted as a decent number.
Persons: Vanessa Carvalho Organizations: Zuma Press, The Commerce Department
As Rent Rises Cool, So Will Inflation
  + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Will the strong U.S. economic data we’ve seen push the Fed to change policy this year? What comes next depends on how the Fed will interpret the data. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg NewsInflation has been cooling, and a big part of why is that rent increases have as well. That is also why inflation is likely to keep going lower in the months ahead. Tuesday’s inflation report from the Labor Department showed that overall consumer prices were up 3.2% from a year earlier in October, while core prices, which exclude food and energy prices in an effort to better track inflation’s underlying trend, were up 4%.
Persons: WSJ’s Dion Rabouin, Sarah Silbiger Organizations: Bloomberg, Labor Department
How Work From Home Has Reshaped What Americans Buy
  + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Justin Lahart | Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Analysis shows consumers are buying goods as a substitution of sorts for the services they used to buy—like purchasing a bicycle instead of spending money on a spin class near work. Photo: Terra Fondriest/Bloomberg NewsAmericans are still spending more of their money on stuff than they did before the pandemic. Early in the pandemic, unable to spend on things such as traveling and dining out, and with their finances buoyed by government relief, people bought goods with abandon. This played a role in the supply-chain snarls, the hefty price increases that beset the economy, and in retailers’ scramble to secure as much inventory as possible. As the economy gradually reopened there was a reversal that left many stores burdened with more than they needed.
Persons: Terra Organizations: Terra Fondriest, Bloomberg News
Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday said the central bank will leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged, marking the second consecutive meeting with no increase. Photo: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersFederal Reserve policy makers appear disinclined to raise interest rates again. But neither do they expect to be cutting rates soon, and when they eventually do, they don’t think they are going to be cutting them by all that much. This higher-for-longer prospect has been unsettling for investors, and is part of why long-term interest rates have risen so much over the past several months. But if Fed policy makers are right about their ability to keep rates high—and it is a big if—then the economy could be in a very good place.
Persons: Jerome Powell, Kevin Lamarque, Organizations: Reuters Federal Reserve
What Will the Economy Do for an Encore?
  + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Economists expected economic growth to rise significantly and now that we’ve got the latest GDP report, we’ll break down the biggest takeaways in the data. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin will unpack the report and explain what really matters. Photo: Li Jianguo/Zuma PressA lot of investors are familiar with Stein’s law, named after the late economist Herbert Stein : “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”Which brings us to Thursday’s gross-domestic-product report. The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy grew at an inflation-adjusted 4.9% annual rate, the biggest gain since the fourth-quarter of 2021, and far stronger than the less-than-2% rate that Federal Reserve policymakers think it needs to settle in at to avoid overheating.
Persons: we’ve, WSJ’s Dion Rabouin, Li Jianguo, Herbert Stein Organizations: Commerce Department, Federal Locations: U.S
Housing’s Other Threat to the Economy
  + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: +1 min
The limited number of existing homes has prompted some shoppers to purchase new ones. That shouldn’t mask the fact that what is happening in the housing market is utterly and horribly bad and that the economy is worse off for it. This past Thursday, the National Association of Realtors said that 3.96 million previously owned, or existing, homes were sold in September at a seasonally adjusted, annual rate. That was down from 4.68 million a year earlier, and even lower than the levels plumbed right after the pandemic hit. The report showed that there were just 1.13 million homes on the market last month, which is the fewest for a September on record.
Persons: MIKE BLAKE Organizations: Commerce, National Association of Realtors
Inflation Bump Won’t Be Enough to Unsettle Fed
  + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/inflation-bump-wont-be-enough-to-unsettle-fed-86890361
Persons: Dow Jones
Profits Are Making a Comeback
  + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/profits-are-making-a-comeback-2af53ab0
Persons: Dow Jones
Bond Selloff Might Force Fed to Rethink Shedding Assets
  + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/bond-selloff-might-force-fed-to-rethink-shedding-assets-305d2a26
Persons: Dow Jones
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/despite-economic-risks-companies-are-hanging-on-to-the-workers-they-have-69162183
Persons: Dow Jones
How the Fed Made a Worrisome Economic Signal Go Away
  + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/how-the-fed-made-a-worrisome-economic-signal-go-away-5b5566e3
Persons: Dow Jones
Inflation Steps Back on the Gas
  + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/inflation-steps-back-on-the-gas-cef113ca
Persons: Dow Jones
How Much Savings Do Americans Have Left, Anyway?
  + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
Inflation is rising and investors are betting that interest rates will go higher. This week’s readings on the housing market, consumer confidence and leading economic indicators offer clarity on how the market is holding up. Photo: Mike Blake/ReutersEverybody knows that U.S. households’ savings soared after the pandemic struck, as the combined effects of checks from the government and fewer opportunities to spend swelled wallets. And everybody knows that as the checks stopped coming, the economy reopened and inflation began to bite, those savings got whittled away.
Persons: Mike Blake Organizations: Reuters
The Hedge Fund Meltdown That Rescued Your Stock Portfolio
  + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/the-hedge-fund-meltdown-that-rescued-your-stock-portfolio-72cc28d7
Persons: Dow Jones
Don’t Buy the Fed’s Rate Projections
  + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/dont-buy-the-feds-rate-projections-5dc96fd0
Persons: Dow Jones
The Fed Isn’t Getting the Economy It Expected
  + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/the-fed-isnt-getting-the-economy-it-expected-3635b291
Persons: Dow Jones
Don’t Bet Against the American Consumer Now
  + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/now-is-no-time-to-bet-against-the-american-consumer-fceabad8
Persons: Dow Jones
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/economy/betting-inflation-will-keep-falling-is-still-a-risky-business-bdcc7bdf
Persons: Dow Jones
Unions Are Having a Moment. Investors Should Take Heed.
  + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/unions-are-having-a-moment-investors-should-take-heed-b38ff00f
Persons: Dow Jones, b38ff00f
America’s Trade Trouble Will Continue
  + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com   time to read: 1 min
The trade gap expanded slightly to $65 billion in July, but was narrower than economists’ expectations. Photo: Richard Vogel/Associated PressThe U.S. trade deficit has been narrowing, and that has been a plus for the U.S. economy. But it is still far wider than it was before the pandemic hit. Odds are that it is going to stay that way for a while.
Persons: Richard Vogel Organizations: Associated Press Locations: U.S
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