With next week bringing the latest wave of inflation data reports--namely the CPI and PPI--this week featured a slew of releases with minimal impact. The Trade Deficit and the Federal Reserve's Beige Book stood out as the main indicators reflecting the current state of the economy. Although tariffs have largely been put on pause, their effects continue to reverberate across numerous industries. Significant concern remains due to the instability in decision-making from the current administration. … [Read more...]

The PCE Index release—the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation indicator—has shown favorable results. However, the overwhelming sentiment remains one of uncertainty due to the ongoing trade wars. With these conflicts still in full swing, inflation is expected to rise in the near future at a faster-than-anticipated pace. Following the recent trade truce with China, consumer sentiment has improved, though the long-term impact remains uncertain. As expected, consumer spending has … [Read more...]

Despite the recent pause on tariffs for Europe and progressing talks with China, the economic outlook remains largely negative across all sectors and markets. Although this week was relatively light on economic reports, the most notable was the Leading Economic Indicators, which showed a significant decline in every measurable category for April. This decline is largely attributed to the tariff policies implemented recently. Overall, the outlook remains pessimistic, despite other markets showing … [Read more...]

The latest inflation data has been released, offering insight into the near-term impact of the recent tariff measures. The results indicate that despite deflationary pressure on the economy, inflation continues to trend upward with the recent, ongoing tariff wars. While the tariffs have been temporarily suspended, their effects are already being felt—consumers are experiencing price increases, and retailers have already been positioning themselves to increase prices due to the impacts of … [Read more...]