Inflation’s annual U.S. rate registered 2.8 percent in February, compared to 3 percent the month before, the Labor Department reported.
Tag: U.S. Federal Reserve
TOP TREND 2024: A GOLDEN YEAR FOR GOLD
The U.S. spot gold price briefly topped $3,000 on 10 March, passing the milestone for the first time. The metal’s futures price in European evening trading surpassed the same milestone later on the same day.
ECB CUTS KEY RATE TO PROTECT AGAINST SHOCKS
On 6 March, the European Central Bank (ECB) shaved a quarter point off its key interest rate, dropping it to 2.5 percent.
DELINQUENT LOANS ON THE RISE AMONG U.S. BUSINESSES
The share of U.S. business loans falling behind in their payments is the highest since 2017 and could rise even higher as the impact of Donald Trump’s trade war begins to bite, the Financial Times reported.
EQUITY INVESTORS ARE TURNING BEARISH
In the week ending 12 February, 47.3 percent of individuals invested in the U.S. stock market expect share prices to fall during the next six months, the most since November 2023, a survey by the American Association of Individual Investors found.
JOB GROWTH AND UNEMPLOYMENT SLOW DOWN IN JANUARY
The U.S. economy created 143,000 nonfarm jobs last month, less than half of the 307,000 created in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ upwardly revised December figure.
GOLD FUTURES’ PRICE SETS NEW RECORD
The April gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange set a new record of $2,853.20 during trading on 30 January and closed the day at $2,845.20.
FED STANDS PAT ON INTEREST RATES
At its meeting last week, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee decided to hold its interest rates at their current levels amid a strong economy and labor market and inflation that refuses to surrender to the bank’s 2-percent target rate.
U.S. ECONOMY GREW 2.8 PERCENT IN 2024
U.S. GDP expanded by 2.8 percent last year, the Commerce Department reported. The growth was smaller than 2023’s 3.2 percent but compared to much of the world, the U.S. economic growth is doing better than most.
RECORD NUMBER OF CONSUMERS MAKING ONLY MINIMUM CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS
The proportion of credit card holders making only minimum payments rose to 10.75 percent in last year’s third quarter, the most since 2012, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported.