Pennsylvania food conglomerate Kraft Heinz reported third-quarter sales in its North America market fell 3.8 percent compared to a year earlier.
Category: TRENDS ON THE U.S. ECONOMIC FRONT – Nov 4 2025
APARTMENT GLUT DUE TO EXTEND, SLOWING RENT INCREASES
Apartment rents are falling in key markets and increasing at their slowest rate in more than a year in others as the glut of flats is taking longer to work through than had been expected, the Financial Times reported.
SEPTEMBER U.S. HOME SALES RETAIN AUGUST’S STRONGER PACE
In September, the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR’s) pending home sales index returned a reading of 74.8, the same as August’s pace, which rose from 71.8 in July.
FED CUTS RATE, WILL RE-ENTER THE BOND MARKET
By a vote of 10 to 2, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee cut its policy interest rate by a quarter point on 29 October, dropping it to 4 percent, its lowest level in three years.
NEW POLL CONFIRMS CONSUMERS’ DARK MOOD
The lingering trade war and government shutdown dragged consumers’ outlook lower last month, The Conference Board’s most recent poll found.
MARKETS’ ‘FRAGILITY EVENTS’ REACH A RECORD NUMBER
The number of days this year on which individual companies’ stock values have gained or lost $100 billion or more reached a record 119 last week, the Financial Times reported.
FED SLIPS $29.4 BILLION INTO CASH-STARVED U.S. BANKING SECTOR
In the wee hours of 31 October, the U.S. Federal Reserve quietly passed $29.4 billion in fresh cash to the U.S. banking system through an expansion of overnight repurchase agreements (repos).
ZOMBIE CORPORATIONS ARE WALKING THE LAND
The number of “zombie” companies—those whose operating income is too small to cover interest payments on their debts—has reached its highest since early 2022.
PAY GROWTH SLOWS FOR AMERICAN WORKERS
Aside from a post-COVID spurt, real income for U.S. workers in their prime earning years ages 25 to 54 is growing at its slowest pace since the economy began to recover from the Great Recession more than a decade ago, the JPMorgan Chase Institute reported.
ECONOMIC UPDATE – MARKET OVERVIEW
As we had forecast on 16 October, gold prices had for the time peaked and there would be at least a $500 correction. Today gold was trading at $4,006 per ounce but as we go to press spot gold is selling $3,935 per ounce.









