July retail sales: gas and vehicle sales continue to dominate the trend – by New Deal democrat As always, real retail sales tell us a great deal about what is happening in the consumer economy. July continued the recent trend since gas prices started declining over a year ago. Nominally retail sales increased 0.7%. Since […]
This is one of the types of care where the resource may not be used as often in rural areas when compared to more populated areas. It is still needed in rural areas. The problem being, how do you get the patient and the baby to a fully equipped hospital an hour or more away. […]
This is the Big Story: a 100+ year near-record decline in commodity prices is enabling continued record wage growth and employment – by New Deal democrat No important economic data today, so let me elaborate on the matter of “immaculate disinflation,” i.e., the decline in inflation without a decline in growth. I’m going to argue […]
Missed this analysis on Friday. July producer prices: economic tailwind weakens, but still in place – by New Deal democrat Normally I don’t pay too much attention to the producer price index, but because the steep decline in producer prices has been such a boon to businesses, and a big tailwind for the economy as […]
Weekly Indicators for August 7 – 11 at Seeking Alpha – by New Deal democrat My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. For the moment we are in something of a holding pattern, in particular with the coincident indicators. Buoyed by the big downturn in commodity prices, and somnolence of consumer prices ex-fictitious shelter, […]
July CPI: almost everything except fictitious shelter costs are getting close to the Fed’s comfort range – by New Deal democrat Gasoline prices and fictitious shelter prices are once again moving in opposite directions, in a direct reversal of what the situation had been in the past 12 months. During late 2022 into this year, energy […]
Initial jobless claims: a little soft, but continued expansion signaled – by New Deal democrat I’ll put up an analysis of this morning’s CPI later. In the meantime, initial jobless claims rose 21,000 last week to 248,000. The more important 4 week moving average rose 2,750 to 231,000. With a one week delay, continuing claims […]
Of late, Mr. Trump’s defense lawyer, John Lauro, has been making rounds of the TV News shows. All with a purpose, of course. Turns out that Mr. Lauro wants to defend Mr. Trump not against the charges of the recent indictment accusing Mr. Trump of conspiring to subvert American democracy but against other, different things […]
The unverified price I have heard for purchase and installation of solar cells is in the realm of $30,000. I have heard the electric district we are in which is District #3 drags their feet in approving installations. Why that would be, I am not sure. Our monthly electric bill for a 1500 square foot […]
What to look for in tomorrow’s CPI and Friday’s PPI – by New Deal democrat We’re still in the post-jobs report lull in economic news today. That will end tomorrow with initial jobless claims, and also CPI and PPI tomorrow and Friday respectively. I always watch CPI, but I believe the PPI is uniquely important […]