Author: Greg Heym
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The Line: The Fed Cuts 0.25%, But Still Finds a Way to Upset Us
This week, we digest the Fed’s rate cut and have the latest on mortgage rates. Hint: it’s more treat than trick, so welcome to the Halloween edition of the Line. The Fed Cuts 0.25%, But Still Finds a Way to Upset Us As expected, the Federal Reserve reduced short-term rates by 25 basis points at their meeting this week. This…
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The Line: Inflation Lower than Expected in September
Today, we present the latest on inflation and share some good news about mortgage rates. Inflation Lower than Expected in September I’m happy to report that the long-awaited September CPI report was good news, with both the monthly and annual increases coming in below forecasts. Here are the highlights of the report: To sum up, this is good news for the economy and interest rates.…
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The Line: Private Payrolls Down 32,000 in September
It’s the first Friday of the month, which usually means we have jobs report from the BLS to dissect. As you know, the government is currently in a shutdown, which means there won’t be a BLS September jobs report for a while. So today, we use employment data from another three-letter group: ADP. Private Payrolls…
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The Line: August Core PCE Inflation in Line with Expectations
Today, we’re all about inflation as the Fed’s favorite measure of it came out this morning. August Core PCE Inflation in Line with Expectations The core personal consumption expenditures price index—or Core PCE for short—was 2.9% higher in August than a year ago. This is good news because: After the August CPI figure came in a little higher…
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The Line: The Fed Cuts Rates 0.25%
Today, there is only one thing on the menu: The Fed. The Fed Cuts Rates 0.25% In a move that surprised nobody, the Fed lowered the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, or 0.25% this week. For those interested, the federal funds rate is the interest rate banks charge each other for overnight loans. Now…
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The Line: Consumer Prices Rose 0.4% in August
Today, we will cover two topics dominating the economic headlines these days: inflation and revisions to employment data. Let’s start with inflation. Consumer Prices Rose 0.4% in August The consumer price index was up 0.4% last month and is 2.9% higher than a year ago. The monthly increase was slightly higher than the 0.3% Dow Jones forecast, while the annual figure came in…