Interesting factoid I’ve seen noted several places recently is that the Millennial generation (1981 – 1996) surpassed the Baby Boom as the largest generation in U.S. history. That is relevant because after a delay caused by factors such as student debt, and possibly some other factors as well, more Millennials will reach the age of 32, the median age for first-time home buyers, over the next two years than ever before. That seems like a strong indicator for continued strong home sales for the next two years at least, unless of course interest rates escalate to a level that forces them to remain renters.
The key factor that will drive interest rates is the Fed’s belated effort to rein-in inflation. The Fed's difficult job got harder this week. Its preferred inflation gauge set another fresh 40-year record high while the ISM prices paid measure shot up 11.5 points to 87.1. Payrolls increased 431K in March with steep upward revisions that lifted last month's gain, but personal income is not quite keeping pace with price gains. Small wonder, the yield curve temporarily inverted, a sign the bond market is losing faith in a soft landing.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 17 May 2024
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / May 23, 2024
The Producer Price Index (PPI) was a bit firm in April, rising 0.5% amid higher services prices, though it did come with slight downward revisions to prior month\'s data.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 18 March 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 21, 2022
it was a big week for economic news as the Astros allowed the TWINS of all teams to sign Carlos Correa to the type of short-term deal that the Astros have historically been open to.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 19August 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Aug 23, 2022
July data indicates that we celebrated a decline in gas prices by going shopping, boosting retail sales figures. I’m not sure I get the connection...
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 11 December 2020
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Dec 14, 2020
Emergency authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine appears imminent, but the virus is running rampant across the United States today, pointing to a grim winter.
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? - 21 January 2022
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jan 24, 2022
The Texans have earned a top draft position yet again, the Cowboys are home again for the remainder of the playoffs, and inflation concerns that continue to mount, along with ongoing supply chain disruptions, are weighing on homebuilder confidence.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 22 March 2024
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Mar 25, 2024
During February, existing home sales and housing starts both topped expectations and rose at robust rates. Meanwhile, initial jobless claims have remained subdued so far in March.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 22 November 2019
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Nov 23, 2019
Minutes from the October FOMC meeting indicated the Fed is content to remain on the sidelines for the rest of this year as the looser financial conditions resulting from rate cuts at three consecutive meetings feed through to the economy.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 09 June 2023
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jun 14, 2023
An unexpected spike in jobless claims is a sign that cracks are forming in the labor market. Higher mortgage rates look to be hindering a housing market rebound.
This Week's State Of The Economy - What Is Ahead? - 28 May 2021
Wells Fargo Economics & Financial Report / Jun 08, 2021
This week\'s light calendar of economic reports showed supply chain disruptions tugging a little at economic growth.