Inflation

The Economic Week Ahead: September 23-27

Sep 22, 2024 3 min read paid

This week's economic indicators should confirm our view that the Fed cut the federal funds rate (FFR) by 50bps (rather than 25bs) last week just as the economy is rebounding from its recent soft patch. Fed Governor Chris Waller's Friday comments on CNBC suggest even previously hawkish FOMC members are now onboard Chair Jerome Powell's easing train. Meanwhile, regional manufacturing surveys (Tue & Thu)

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

CPI Triggered Stock Market Hissy Fit

Sep 11, 2024 3 min read

This morning's CPI report showed inflation continues to moderate. Nevertheless, stock prices initially fell sharply on the news. While the headline CPI was up 0.2% m/m as expected, the core rose 0.3% instead of the expected 0.2%. That minor difference convinced lots of traders that the Fed would cut the federal funds rate (FFR) by 25bps rather than 50bps on September 18. Nevertheless, the

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

The Economic Week Ahead: September 9-13

Sep 8, 2024 3 min read paid

This week's economic indicators will be primarily focused on inflation. Barring any unexpected surprises on the inflation front, the financial markets may care more about the few labor market indicators. The FOMC entered the blackout period ahead of its September meeting yesterday, sparing markets from an extra source of volatility. We expect the combination of a normalizing hiring, inflation, and interest rate environment (a.k.a. Immaculate Disinflation)

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Bonus Content: China In 10 Charts

Aug 29, 2024 2 min read

(1) Chinese consumers are depressed. (2) Home prices are falling in China. (3) Chinese stock prices are on downward trends led by real estate stocks. (4) China's real retail sales growth is weak and exceeds the growth of industrial production. (5) The growth rates of Chinese bank loans and M2 are falling rapidly. (6) Negative growth in M1 suggests that deflationary pressures on China's producer price

Ed Yardeni

The Economic Week Ahead: August 26-30

Aug 25, 2024 3 min read

This week will include the first clues on the economy's performance in August. We're expecting to see confirmation of ongoing labor market strength in the month's consumer confidence survey (Tue) and initial unemployment claims (Thu). Some of August's improvement should be a bounce back from July's weather-depressed economic activity, which may be reflected in July's personal income release

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Powell Confirms Fed's Pivot To Rate Cuts. Doesn't Push Back Against Market Expectations.

Aug 23, 2024 3 min read paid

Fed Chair Jerome Powell was dovish in his Jackson Hole speech today. He didn't hedge. He didn't push back against market expectations of several rate cuts ahead as we anticipated he might. He wasn't more dovish than the market, but he didn't utter any hawkish views whatsoever to alter the market's dovish expectations for several rate cuts (chart). Powell unambiguously

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Are Grocery Stores Price Gouging?

Aug 21, 2024 3 min read paid

Today, Target CEO Brian Cornell said that there's no room for price gouging in a super competitive business like retail. He was responding to accusations by Vice President Kamala Harris that grocers are inflating their prices. As the Democratic candidate for President, she proposed the first ever ban on "corporate price-gouging" in the food and grocery industry. She also pledged last Friday to come after "

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

2% Inflation: Are We There Yet?

Aug 14, 2024 2 min read paid

On long car rides, the kids in the back seat ask their parents, “Are we there yet?” Investors have been asking the same question about the Fed’s 2.0% inflation target. The answer is we aren’t there yet, but we're close. At his Jackson Hole speech at the end of next week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is likely to confirm that. The question is whether he

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Immaculate Disinflation!

Aug 13, 2024 3 min read paid

This morning's July PPI was cooler than expected, rising just 0.1% m/m and 2.2% y/y. The markets responded by betting on a swifter Fed interest rate cutting cycle, sinking the 2-year Treasury yield to 3.956% and the 10-year yield to 3.856%. Stocks rallied in response to the data. The low inflation print supports our view that the US economy has left inflation

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Big Mac Confirms Weak Global Economy Is Facing More Deflation

Jul 29, 2024 3 min read paid

Consumers around the world have cut back on buying Big Macs at McDonald's. The company reported its first worldwide sales decline in 13 quarters today. The company's CEO said, "Consumer sentiment in most of our major markets remains low." Yet, the stock price rose nearly 4% today after the company said that its $5 meal deal is a big hit and will be extended.

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

Lots of Moving Parts

Jul 25, 2024 3 min read paid

The stock market started to rotate out of LargeCaps and into SMidCaps after June's CPI was released on July 11 (chart). It showed lower-than-expected inflation, which increased the odds that the Fed would start cutting the federal funds rate (FFR) in September and triggered the rotation because small companies tend to depend more on floating-rate debt than large ones. Easier monetary policy would also reduce the likelihood of

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

The Economic Week Ahead: July 22-26

Jul 21, 2024 3 min read paid

The week ahead is jampacked with key economic indicators, including the first read on Q2's real GDP and June's PCED inflation rate. We're expecting robust economic growth and further progress toward the Fed's 2.0% inflation target. The latest regional business survey might also confirm our forecast that the goods-producing sector is entering a rolling recovery. Here's our outlook for

Ed Yardeni
Eric Wallerstein

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