Economic Highlights
July 19, 2018 According to Eurostat, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector increased in the Euro Area by 0.3% and in EU28 by 1.2% as at June 2018 compared to May 2018. However, in April 2018, construction production reported growth of 1.4% in the Euro Area while EU28 grew by 0.8%. Annual comparison by
Date: July 19, 2018 United States: Fed’s Powell Says Gradual Rate Hikes Are the Best Path ‘For Now’ Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will continue to gradually raise interest rates “for now’’ to keep inflation near target amid a strong U.S. labor market. The Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed panel
According to Eurostat, the inflation rate in the Euro Area was 2.0% at the conclusion of June 2018, increasing 1.9% from the May 2018 rate. Simultaneously, European Union annual inflation stayed steady at 2% in June 2018 compared to May 2018. Countries with the lowest annual rates included: Ireland (0.7%), Greece (1.0%), and Denmark (1.1%).
Date: July 18, 2018 United States: Powell Wants to Create Some Mystery Around Fed Meetings Change is in the air at the Federal Reserve. Chairman Jerome Powell’s semiannual monetary policy testimony in the Senate gave a big hint that we can no longer count on the explicit policy of gradual interest-rate hikes to continue too
July 17, 2018 The median weekly earnings of 115.8 million full-time U.S. wage and salary workers were $876 after completion of the second quarter of 2018. Of the total, women had median weekly earnings of $780, 81.3% of the men’s $959 weekly median. Highlights from the second quarter data revealed the median weekly earnings were
Date: July 17, 2018 The consumer price index for the month of June 2018 increased 0.4%, following the negligible movement in May 2018, according to The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). The Consumer Price Index for the month amounted to 248.0, relative to the 247.0 reported for May 2018. This increase was largely attributed to the
Date : July 17, 2018 United States: Stocks Drop as Traders Await Powell; Oil Steadies: Markets Wrap U.S. equity futures fell alongside European stocks as investors digested a flood of earnings as well as prepared for the latest clues from the Federal Reserve on monetary policy in the world’s biggest economy. Most commodities climbed, as
July 16, 2018 The Euro Area According to the latest report published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, “The first estimate for euro area (EA19) exports of goods to the rest of the world in May 2018 was €189.6 billion, a decrease of 0.8% compared with May 2017 (€191.2 bn).” In comparison
Date: July 16, 2018 United States: Fed's Powell Says the U.S. Economy in ‘Good Place’ But Trade Is a Risk Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell gave an upbeat assessment of the U.S. economy but warned a sustained period of high tariffs on a wide variety of imports could be harmful to growth. “I sleep pretty
July 13, 2018 New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: 2017 The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis indicated that, “Expenditures by foreign direct investors to acquire, establish, or expand U.S. businesses amounted to $259.6 billion (preliminary) in 2017.” In 2016, there was a decrease in expenditure by 32 percent from $379.7 billion (revised) which
