Economic Commentary

ECONOMY AND POLICY October 15, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. Expectations of the Fed’s liftoff in short-term interest rates have continued to inch forward and bond yields have moved moderately higher. However, investors remain optimistic, looking beyond recent concerns (the delta variant and supply chain and labor issues). The […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY October 15, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. Minutes from the September 21-22 Federal Open Market Committee reinforced the view that the Fed’s reduction (“tapering”) of its monthly asset purchases will be announced in November. For the financial markets, that’s completely baked in at this point. The Fed […]

MARKETS AND INVESTING October 08, 2021   Review the latest Weekly Headings by CIO Larry Adam. Key Takeaways Seasonal trends may shift to become a tailwind Stagflation scares overblown as economy remains resilient Comparison to 2011 debt ceiling crisis misplaced The fall season began a few weeks ago, and while the leaves and temperatures may […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY October 08, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. There was another “disappointing” gain in nonfarm payrolls in September (up 194,000, vs. a median forecast of +500,000), but it’s not as bad as it looks. Less hiring at the start of the school year resulted in a decline in […]