A money manager acting on behalf of Rafael Bostic, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, bought and sold shares in 19 exchange-traded funds on May 2 this year, a date that fell within the Fed’s “blackout period” during which Fed officials are forbidden to make trades.
Category: TRENDS ON THE U.S. ECONOMIC FRONT – Jun 20 2023
BANKS WILL STRUGGLE FOR YEARS
Small and regional U.S. banks have survived the collapse of Signature and Silicon Valley banks and their stock values have largely stabilized—only to face a future of tighter regulations, lower stock values, and demands from depositors for higher interest rates, Wall Street Journal analyst James Mackintosh wrote in a 14 June essay.
THE “GREAT RESIGNATION” IS OVER, ECONOMISTS SAY
During the COVID War in 2021, 47.7 million people quit their jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most since the bureau began tracking the number in 2001.
AGAIN IN MAY, CONSUMERS SPENT MORE TO BUY LESS
U.S. consumers spent 0.3 percent more on retail purchases in May than in April, the U.S. commerce department reported, besting economists’ expectations of a 0.2-percent decline.
U.S. NATIONAL DEBT REACHES $32 TRILLION
The U.S. national debt reached a record $32 trillion after Congress agreed to lift the debt ceiling once again after a months-long standoff over spending cuts.
FED “PAUSES,” NOT “ENDS,” RATE INCREASES
After 10 interest-rate increases in as many meetings, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee held the central bank’s key federal funds rate steady at 5.0 percent on deposits and 5.25 percent on loans at its meeting last week.
ECONOMIC UPDATE – MARKET OVERVIEW
When China launched the COVID War in January 2020, on its Lunar New Year, “The Year of the Rat,” it not only destroyed its economy, it destroyed the lives and livelihoods of billions across the planet.
SPOTLIGHT, TOP TREND 2023: OFFICE BUILDING BUST
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) will increase scrutiny of banks’ exposure to the rising risk of commercial real estate loans defaulting...