Household net worth in the United States surpassed $90 trillion for the first time in Q3 2016, according to the latest estimates from the Federal Reserve’s Financial Accounts of the United States (Z1). That’s up sharply from $67.9 trillion now estimated (with revisions) for Q3 2012 when QE3 was introduced. Despite a massive gain of just about a third, Nominal [...]
When the estimates for factor orders were released earlier this month, there was an unusual pattern for the revision of September’s preliminary figures. Subsequent data suggested that factory orders were slightly less than had been originally calculated, yet despite that result for the unadjusted data the seasonally-adjusted estimate for factory orders in September was instead revised significantly higher. Overall, the [...]
One of the biggest challenges facing central banks in this increasingly post-myth environment is that they have to deal with the consequences of those past myths. Not all that long ago, it was widely believed that a central bank just did what it wanted to do, and that was the end of all discussion. If the Federal Reserve wanted to [...]
Economic Reports Scorecard The incoming economic data has improved since the last update with a plethora of reports coming in better than expected. This is the longest run of better than expected data we've had in some time and encompasses a wide variety of indicators. Most surprising I think is that we are seeing a bit of an upturn in [...]
There has to this point been one key element missing from “reflation.” Or maybe it hasn’t been missing, it just hasn’t been consistent with what I would consider that term to mean. The WTI price remains quite range-bound even though there is at the moment only wind at its back. OPEC had just pledged less production, and though US production [...]
The whole monetary issue as it pertains to the eurodollar system can be succinctly summed up as balance sheet capacity. In pure monetary terms, that is an enormous distinction. What counts as money is not what almost everyone still thinks it is, though those view should have been shifted almost a decade ago in August 2007. Money is instead “money”, [...]
China’s trade statistics were improved in November, further fueling the global “reflation” dreams. Imports rose 6.7% year-over-year, the second increase in the past four months (August) and the best since September 2014. Exports were nearly flat, up the tiniest fraction, 0.1%. That was the second time this year exports were positive. Again, these numbers have been very well received: “The [...]
For years it was uncontested convention that the lower the rate the better. Stimulus was, after all, intended as a borrower boost. Make the cost of adding debt low and lower, then it was assumed borrowers would borrow more than they otherwise might have with recovery the promising result. Every time rates went lower, the common refrain of “stimulus” went [...]
The JOLTS survey continues to show a lack of acceleration in the labor market. Even previously robust Job Openings estimates have plateaued. After surging throughout 2014 and into the middle of 2015, the level of estimated job openings has been more or less the same since. That might indicate the labor market reaching saturation, or it might suggest, as all [...]
In September 2013, the BIS took a closer look at offshore corporate issuance of EM obligors. The timing could not have been more relevant, which was very likely their point in undertaking the difficult exercise. The “taper tantrum” that summer had roiled domestic bond markets in the US, but was really focused in the offshore sections of the “dollar” system. [...]
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