The fact that the Federal Reserve Board did not raise interest rates at their last meeting made this week’s release of the job numbers for September very interesting. A weak, or even moderate report would have affirmed the Fed’s position. A very strong report makes the markets think that the Fed should have acted. One must remember that it […]
Read MoreIf you were looking for a respite in the markets after the meeting of the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee, you would be disappointed. This week the jobs report for September is being released, the first big news of the last quarter of the year — though it is based upon third quarter numbers. Because […]
Read MoreAfter much speculation on both sides, the Federal Reserve Board’s Open Market Committee met last week and made their decision regarding interest rates. The markets experienced significant volatility leading up to the meeting as stocks pulled back, interest rates rose and oil prices fell. With the volatility, none of these moves came in a straight line, especially with regard to […]
Read MoreSeems like it happens often when a meeting of the Federal Reserve Board is coming. The markets analyze all the data, and declare that the rate hike is not likely. Then the closer we get to the meeting, the more the markets get jittery by thinking that a rate hike may take place anyway. This […]
Read MoreThe initial reaction with regard to the slightly disappointing August jobs numbers, was speculation that a rate hike was less likely to result from the meeting of the Federal Reserve Board’s Open Market Committee next week. Keep in mind that many are speculating that the Fed will be reticent to take any actions at the following meeting, which takes […]
Read MoreThe Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Janet Yellen, recently caused quite a debate in the markets with a recent speech indicating that she believed the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months. The debate not only centered around whether a rate increase was justified based upon […]
Read MoreAs one would expect, as the date of the presidential election draws near, the words are heating up from both sides. And while we don’t take sides with regard to these words, we must point out that these heated exchanges can affect the performance of the markets. Certainly, strong statements can affect consumer behavior. For […]
Read MoreThis month economists have focused on international concerns and their effect on our economy. Most importantly; the default crisis in Greece, China’s stock market fall back, and nuclear discussions with Iran. The federal reserve must keep a close eye on what is going on around the world before they make a decision to increase interest […]
Read MoreEconomic statistics indicate the economy is producing over two millions jobs per year. The continuing rise in these statistics raises the question as to when the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates. The Federal Reserve directly controls short term rates but only indirectly affects long-term rates through their actions. It is possible that the Fed […]
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