9/22 – Weekly Economic Highlights
The Federal Reserve (Fed) opted to maintain its key policy rate, the federal funds rate, within the range of 5.25% to 5.5% this week. Nonetheless, the Fed conveyed a consensus view that another rate hike is possible later in the year, along with its commitment to keeping rates at their current level until inflation subsides closer to its 2% target, endorsing a ‘higher-for-longer’ strategy.
9/15 – Weekly Economic Highlights
Economic data released this week provided the Federal Reserve with key information to digest before their upcoming meeting on September 20th. The August Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in slightly higher than expected, with the headline CPI up 0.6% month-over-month and 3.7% year-over-year, accelerating from 3.2% year-over-year in July.
9/8 – Weekly Economic Highlights
This week’s inflation data provided encouraging indications of moderating inflation trends. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed a monthly increase of 0.2% in July, while the annual CPI experienced a slight rise to 3.2% due to an unfavorable year-over-year comparison
9/1 – Weekly Economic Highlights
This week’s inflation data provided encouraging indications of moderating inflation trends. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed a monthly increase of 0.2% in July, while the annual CPI experienced a slight rise to 3.2% due to an unfavorable year-over-year comparison
8/25 – Weekly Economic Highlights
Treasury yields drifted higher over the course of the week as the light economic data released largely followed recent trends consistent with stable growth. Existing home sales for July came in moderately below expectations at 4.07 million compared to the estimate of 4.15 million, a trend the Chandler team expects to continue given the large disincentive for current homeowners to trade out of existing homes given the difference between existing 30 year mortgage rates (below 3% for many) and the current level of 30 year mortgage rates (7% area).
8/18 – Weekly Economic Highlights
This week’s inflation data provided encouraging indications of moderating inflation trends. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed a monthly increase of 0.2% in July, while the annual CPI experienced a slight rise to 3.2% due to an unfavorable year-over-year comparison
8/11 – Weekly Economic Highlights
This week’s inflation data provided encouraging indications of moderating inflation trends. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) witnessed a monthly increase of 0.2% in July, while the annual CPI experienced a slight rise to 3.2% due to an unfavorable year-over-year comparison
8/4 – Weekly Economic Highlights
On Wednesday, the US Treasury’s credit rating was downgraded by Fitch, a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization that assesses creditworthiness of various institutions, including sovereign entities. The rating was lowered from the highest level of “AAA” to “AA+”, which is only one notch below the highest possible credit rating of “AAA.” The action comes just two months after Fitch warned that it was weighing cutting the credit rating when lawmakers were in political battles over raising the nation’s debt limit.
7/28 – Weekly Economic Highlights
As was widely anticipated, this week the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted unanimously to raise the federal funds rate by 0.25% to a target range of 5.25% to 5.50%, the highest level in over 20 years. Fed Chair Powell maintained that the FOMC will remain data dependent going forward, and that they do not anticipate a recession, leaving the option open for the possibility of additional rate hikes in the future if needed.
7/21 – Weekly Economic Highlights
This week, market participants were focused on inflation and associated implications for monetary policy. The June Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in slightly below expected, with the headline CPI up 0.2% month-over-month and 3.0% year-over-year, decelerating from 4.0% year-over-year in May.