Listen Live
Saturday’s: 9AM 1590 AM/97.9 FM KVTA
Sunday’s: 7AM K-EARTH 101 FM
Listen Live
Saturday’s: 9AM 1590 AM/97.9 FM KVTA
Sunday’s: 7AM K-EARTH 101 FM
The U.S. trade deficit in December and for the full year both rose to the highest levels since 2008, complicating efforts by President Trump to fulfill his vow to reduce the gap. The deficit in December rose 5.3% to a $53.1 billion, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Economists polled had forecast a $52.2 billion gap.
READ MOREThe U.S. created 200,000 new jobs in the first month of 2018, showing that companies are still hungry to hire more than eight years after an economic expansion began. Even better, worker pay also rose at the fastest yearly pace since 2009. The increase in hiring exceeded Wall Street’s forecast. Economists polled by MarketWatch had
READ MOREWith the pickup in global economic growth, central banks — except for Japan’s — are shifting to tightening from extremely easy money, including massive quantitative easing and trivial, if not negative, short-term interest rates. The Federal Reserve has raised its target for the federal funds rate five times since December 2015 and is suggesting three
READ MOREThe U.S. generated 200,000 new jobs in January and yearly wage growth hit an eight-and-a-half-year high, highlighting the strongest labor market in two decades. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted a 190,000 increase in nonfarm jobs. The unemployment rate was unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1%. The big news was a strong gain in
READ MOREThe Commerce Department reported a 0.7% gain in construction spending in December, and a 2.6% advance over the last 12 months. That’s the fifth monthly gain in a row and a record high. November’s previously reported 0.8% gain was revised lower to show a 0.6% increase.
READ MOREThe Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index in January slipped to 59.1% from 59.3% in December. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected a reading of 58.6%. Separately, IHS Markit said its manufacturing PMI remained steady at a final reading of 55.5 in January from the flash estimate. This was up from 55.1 in December.
READ MOREThe productivity of American firms and workers fell at a 0.1% annual pace in the fourth quarter. Economists polled forecast a 0.2% gain. Output — goods and services produced — rose 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Yet hours worked grew slightly faster at 3.3%. The difference between the two led to the small decline in
READ MOREThe number of people who applied for unemployment benefits in late January fell by 1,000 to 230,000, keeping initial U.S. jobless claims near a 45-year low. Economists polled had forecast a 240,000 reading in the seven days ended January 27. The more stable monthly average of claims fell by 5,000 to 234,500, the government said
READ MOREThe Fed may be forced to raise rates more rapidly than the market is anticipating due to accelerating economic conditions. Economists, fund managers and strategists now see the funds rate ending 2018 at 2.24 percent, up about a quarter point from the prior survey. Respondents continue to be unenthused about the outlook for stocks, seeing
READ MOREU.S. yields continued higher on Thursday, with the rate on the 10-year benchmark note rising 4 basis points to 2.75%. The gain comes after a choppy session on Wednesday when yields initially popped after the Federal Reserve struck a hawkish in its policy statement, but then ended little changed on the day. UBS on Thursday
READ MORE
