Common Cents Blog
Depending on your point of view, the first several weeks of the second Trump administration have been either invigorating or infuriating. They certainly haven’t been boring. However, will all of the upset apple carts ultimately be…
This week, the markets had to digest two disappointing economic reports. Objectively, they did so splendidly. To that end, the S&P 500 was up over 1.5% during the week as of 2:00 pm CDT. The first…
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released “The Employment Situation – January 2025.” In it, the BLS reported the Unemployment Rate fell from 4.1% to 4.0%, and the economy created 143K net, new payroll…
To many, this past week has been little more than the lull between the NFL conference championships and the Super Bowl. However, to investment types, it was chock full of important information. There was a Federal…
Perhaps not surprisingly, I have gotten a lot of questions this week about what impact Donald Trump’s enormous wish list will have on the economy. More specifically, folks seem to be pretty worried about the impact…
This week, many investors have undoubtedly scratched their heads at the strength of some of the economic data. The most surprising of these were the Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook (Philly Fed) survey and Housing Starts for…
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released “The Employment Situation – December 2024.” If you have been reading this newsletter over the last 12-months, you know I have been a little perplexed by the…
In one of his last major acts as U.S. President, Joe Biden blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel today, killing a $14.1 billion deal in the process. In his prepared statement, the President…
One more tumultuous year down, and a yet another to go. If you don’t have at least a smidgeon of trepidation about 2025, you might be a little too optimistic for your own good. My Economic…
This week, the Federal Reserve surprised no one and disappointed everyone when it cut the overnight rate by 25 basis points (0.25%). Investors had fully expected it. They had NOT expected the relatively hawkish tone of…