Economic Commentary

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 25, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. The first of three presidential debates is set for the evening of September 29. The topics, chosen by the Chris Wallace, the moderator, will be the Trump and Biden records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, racial tensions, and election integrity. […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 25, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ignited a fight over her replacement. The increased animosity in Washington lowered the odds that lawmakers will reach agreement on a further fiscal support package and dampened investor sentiment. Durable goods […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 18, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses current economic conditions. There were no significant surprises following the September 15-16 Federal Open Market Committee meeting. As expected, short-term interest rates were left unchanged and the FOMC did not alter its asset purchase plans. In the Summary of Economic Projections, Fed officials’ projections […]

ECONOMY AND POLICY September 18, 2020 Chief Economist Scott Brown discusses the latest market data. The major stock market indices were choppy on a day-to-day basis, as investors continued to reevaluate the rally off the lows. The economic data reports were inconsequential. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August (-0.2% y/y), also up 0.4% […]