U.S. - Housing Remains at the Forefront of the Recovery
- Housing starts jumped 5.8% during December. Single-family starts soared 12%, while multifamily starts dropped 13.6%. Total starts are running at a 1.67 million-unit pace, the strongest pace since 2006. Existing home sales rose 0.7% to a 6.76 million-unit pace in December. Mortgage applications for purchase are up 14.7% over the year as of January 15.
- The NAHB Housing Market Index fell to 83 in January. Builder confidence remains exceptionally high, but the index has slipped in recent months alongside rising material prices and the latest COVID surge. Initial jobless claims fell to 900K during the week ended January 16. Despite the drop, new filings remain elevated, which means another negative print for payrolls in January is possible.
Global - Mixed Fortunes for the Global Economy
- This past week saw some reports showing mixed fortunes for key international economies. China reported another solid GDP increase in Q4, while for full-year 2020 GDP rose 2.3%, the only major global economy to enjoy positive growth last year. Elsewhere, Japan and Mexico appear to be experiencing a steady rather than especially strong rebound, while Eurozone PMI surveys hint at a renewed contraction across the region in late 2020 and early 2021.
- For now, central banks are sitting on the sidelines. The European Central Bank held monetary policy steady and, with regard to its asset purchases, said that it might not use its full envelope of asset purchases, but equally that its purchase program could be re-calibrated. The Bank of Canada kept policy unchanged, though hinted at an eventual tapering in bond purchases as confidence in the economic recovery improves, while the Bank of Japan held monetary policy unchanged at its meeting this week.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 01 October 2021
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Oct 10, 2021
Economic data this week indicated that the ongoing expansion still has some momentum despite some familiar headwinds, though this week\'s releases were largely overshadowed by a busy week on Capitol Hill.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 14 January 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jan 18, 2022
As you may have already seen, inflation is running almost as hot as the stock of our favorite bank. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 7.0% year-over-year in December, the fastest increase in nearly 40 years.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 12 June 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jun 13, 2020
Lock downs began to be lifted across most of the country by the end of May and the total amount of daily new coronavirus cases has been trending lower. But the flattening case count has not been consistent across the country.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 31 July 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 11, 2020
The resurgence in COVID-19 in much of the Sun Belt appears to have topped out, although cases are rising faster in some smaller mid-Atlantic states and in parts of Europe, Asia and Australia.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 06 December 2019
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Dec 07, 2019
The latest hiring data are an encouraging sign that the U.S. economy is withstanding the global slowdown and continued trade-related uncertainty.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 24 July 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jul 25, 2020
Initial jobless claims rose to just over 1.4 million for the week ending July 18. Continuing claims fell to about 16.2 million. Initial claims edging higher suggests that the resurgence of COVID-19 may be taking a toll on the labor market recovery.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 10 January 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jan 11, 2020
The week began amid rising tensions carrying over from the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani last Friday.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 12 August 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 15, 2020
The consumer has been a bright spot in the recovery so far, but with jobless benefits in flux and no clear path for the long-awaited stimulus bill, the support here could fade.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 29 July 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jul 31, 2022
Unlike the local temperatures, data released this week showed U.S. economic growth modestly declined in Q2.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 04 June 2021
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jun 08, 2021
The CDC\'s relaxation of its mask mandate occurred mid-May, and as data for that month begins rolling in this week, it is evident there is no lack of demand. Supplies, on the other hand, are a worsening problem.
