Economic Commentary

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 10, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. Indices Last Last Week YTD return % DJIA 35,443.82 35,213.12 15.8% NASDAQ 15,331.18 14,945.81 18.95% S&P 500 4,536.95 4,470.00 20.79% MSCI EAFE 2,384.89 2,339.25 11.05% Russell 2000 2,304.02 2,213.98 16.67%   Consumer Money Rates Last 1 year ago Prime […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 03, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. Nonfarm payrolls rose less than expected in the initial estimate for August, likely reflecting an impact from the Delta variant. However, the shortfall (relative to expectations) may have also reflected the usual noise in the data. You should never take […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY August 27, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. In his Jackson Hole speech, Fed Chair Powell said that the “substantial further progress” test has been met on inflation, although the labor market is not quite there. The delta variant is a wildcard, but he and most other […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY August 27, 2021   Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. As expected, Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech pointed toward tapering, but fell short of signaling precisely when. Powell includes himself in the camp expecting to start by the end of the year, provided that “the economy evolves broadly as […]