U.S. - Was April the Bottom?
- Data this week continued to suggest the U.S. economy hit rock bottom in April. Still, it is a long road to recovery and the pickup in economic activity will be gradual.
- In what was a surprising jobs report, the U.S. labor market added 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate fell to 13.3%. The bottom line: hiring started to pick-up earlier than expected as states began to loosen restrictions in May.
- Survey evidence from the ISM further supports the notion that economic activity has bottomed, as does mobility data, though they exemplify just how gradual the rebound may be.
Global - Trio of Central Bank Meetings Dominate the Week
- There was a trio of key central bank meetings this week, with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kicking the week off. As expected, the RBA maintained its main policy rate and target for the three-year sovereign bond yield.
- The European Central Bank increased the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program by €600 billion, extended the timeline for purchases to June 2021 and announced maturing holdings would be reinvested until at least the end of 2022.
- The Bank of Canada left its main policy rate unchanged and modestly scaled back some provisions aimed at providing liquidity in financial markets.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 02 August 2024
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 06, 2024
The July employment report brought with it a crossing of the Sahm Rule threshold. That means we\'re either headed for recession, or about to break yet another recession rule this unique cycle. Either way, the Fed is getting ready to cut.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 05 August 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 08, 2022
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning that nonfarm payrolls increased 528,000 for the month of July, easily topping estimates, lowering the unemployment rate to 3.5%.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 01 April 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Apr 05, 2022
The key factor that will drive interest rates is the Fed’s belated effort to rein-in inflation.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 06 December 2024
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Dec 09, 2024
Incoming economic data continue to illuminate pockets of stress in the U.S. economy. The unwinding of strikes and hurricane effects lifted nonfarm payrolls by 227K in November; however, job gains remain highly concentrated by industry.
September 2020 Economy At A Glance
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Sep 19, 2020
A March survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas found most exploration firms need West Texas Inter-mediate (WTI) at $49 per barrel or higher to profitably drill a well.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 24 April 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Apr 27, 2020
Oil prices went negative for the first time in history on Monday as the evaporation of demand collided with a supply glut. In the past five weeks, 26.5 million people have filed for unemployment insurance, or more than one out of every seven workers.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 07 October 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Oct 10, 2022
higher interest rates and inflation appear to be weighing on manufacturing and construction, yet service sector activity remains fairly resilient.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 10 March 2023
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 14, 2023
Financial markets were looking for validation that January\'s unexpected strength was not a fluke and that the downward slide in economic momentum experienced late last year had stabilized.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 20 October 2023
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Oct 27, 2023
Treasury yields surged this week due to strong economic activity, impacting expectations for longer-term rates. New home sales led to a rise in single-family permits, but spiking mortgage rates are testing builder affordability strategies.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 17 July 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jul 18, 2020
Two countervailing themes competed for attention this week in financial markets. The first is that for the most part, economic data continue to surprise to the upside and do not yet rule out prospects for that elusive V-shaped recovery.