Last week was the business economic data week of the year. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the third consecutive meeting. Third-quarter GDP grew 1.9%, beating expectations of 1.6% while still falling short of 2% because of weakness in trade and business investment.
Economic data reinforced the view that trade disputes are pressuring economic growth and creating an uncertain environment for businesses to invest. Whether it was the weekly Brexit roller coaster, the U.S. durable goods report,
Great Britain’s prime minister and the European Union reached an agreement for Britain to exit the European Union on October 31, 2019, pending the approval of the British Parliament. Efforts to secure Parliament’s approval over the weekend were postponed to this week as Brexit opponents see …
Chinese and U.S. negotiators reached a tentative agreement to step back from policies designed to inflict damage on each other’s economies as they seek to negotiate a more permanent trade deal. The Chinese agreed to accelerate purchases of U.S. agricultural products,
The monthly U.S. employment report created some very positive headlines but also indicated slowing business investment is spilling over to the jobs market. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, the lowest level in 50 years. As shown on the accompanying chart, payrolls increased by 136,000 job …
Impeachment proceedings led news coverage most of the week, but other economic data may be more impactful on portfolios. As the accompanying chart shows, consumer spending rose just 0.1% in August. The below-expected results indicate weakness from trade, and business spending may be slowing …
