The Blog

MAY 9, 2022 – RATES RISE BY 0.5 PERCENT AS EXPECTED; FED TO REDUCE ASSET HOLDINGS To slow down inflation, running at a 40-year high, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates last week. Interest rates will go up by 0.5 percent, raising the target range to 0.75%-1%. This is the biggest one-time hike since 2000, and the second of seven …

MAY 2, 2022 – US GDP FALLS IN Q1 AFTER RECORD GROWTH IN 2021 Unexpectedly US GDP fell at a 1.4 percent pace in Q1, below analysts’ expectations for a 1 percent gain. This was a sudden change, given the economy has been performing better than it has in almost 40 years. In comparison, GDP grew 6.9 percent in 2021. …

APRIL 25, 2022 – THE FED IS POISED TO QUELL INFLATION Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is determined to tame inflation and raise rates “expeditiously” with an aggressive rate hike anticipated next week. It is expected the Fed will move rates up by 0.5 percent at their next meeting as prices are rising at their fastest pace in over 40 …

APRIL 18, 2022 – INFLATION HITS RECORD HIGHS US inflation rose again in March, up 8.5 percent year-over-year, the largest increase since December 1981.  It is the fifth month in a row inflation has hit a new 40-year high. The Fed raised rates last month by 0.25 percent and is expected to raise rates again multiple times this year to …

APRIL 11, 2022 – THE FED IS POISED TO RAISE RATES 0.5 PERCENT Investors are anticipating a half percentage point increase in rates at the Fed’s May 3-4 meeting and at the following meeting in June. They are prepared to start shrinking their asset portfolio as soon as the May meeting.  The Fed bought nearly $1.5 trillion in government debt …

APRIL 4, 2022 – MARCH JOBS REPORT COMES IN STRONG Employers added 431,000 new jobs in March and hiring in January and February was stronger than originally reported. It is the 11th straight month of job gains above 400,000, the longest stretch of growth in records dating back to 1939.  The unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent in March from …

MARCH 28, 2022 – FED FOCUSES ON RAISING RATES FASTER TO CURTAIL INFLATION Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke to the National Association for Business Economics last week; he said, “inflation is much too high” and wants the central bank to “take the necessary steps to ensure a return to price stability.”  He supports greater increases in the borrowing rate if …

MARCH 21, 2022 – THE FED RAISES INTEREST RATES BY 0.25 PERCENT As anticipated, the FOMC, with a vote of 8-1, agreed to a quarter point rise in interest rates last week. The dissenter, St. Louis’ Bullard, wanted rates to rise 0.5%.  Most officials expect the fed-funds rate to rise to at least 1.875% by the end of this year, …

MARCH 14, 2022 – INFLATION RISES TO A 40-YEAR HIGH IN FEBRUARY On Thursday, data was released showing inflation in February came in annually at 7.9 percent, the highest since 1982. The consumer price index is rising both on a monthly and annual basis, driven by rising energy costs, food, housing and consumer goods.  Labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and …

MARCH 7, 2022 – HIRINGS SOAR AS UNEMPLOYMENT NEARS PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS The labor market is showing strong hiring and is nearing levels seen just before the pandemic took hold. Employers added 678,000 new jobs in February, the biggest gain in seven months, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent from 4 percent in January. This is edging closer to …