Breaking News: Economy
Pending home sales fell 20% in June versus a year earlier as mortgage rates soared
A “Sale Pending” sign outside a house in Discovery Bay, California, on Thursday, March 31, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Signed contracts to purchase existing homes dropped 20% in June compared with the same month a year ago, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That is the slowest pace since […]
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Fed hikes interest rates by 0.75 percentage point for second consecutive time to fight inflation
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday enacted its second consecutive 0.75 percentage point interest rate increase as it seeks to tamp down runaway inflation without creating a recession. In taking the benchmark overnight borrowing rate up to a range of 2.25%-2.5%, the moves in June and July represent the most stringent consecutive moves since the Fed […]
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IMF slashes global GDP forecast as economic outlook grows ‘gloomy and more uncertain’
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday cut its global growth projections for 2022 and 2023, dubbing the world’s economic outlook “gloomy and more uncertain.” The IMF now expects the world economy to grow 3.2% this year, before slowing further to a 2.9% GDP rate in 2023. The revisions mark a downgrade of 0.4 and 0.7 […]
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Mortgage demand drops to a 22-year low as higher interest rates and inflation crush homebuyers
The pain in the mortgage market is only getting worse as higher interest rates and inflation hammer American consumers. Mortgage demand fell more than 6% last week compared with the previous week, hitting the lowest level since 2000, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home […]
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Retail sales rose more than expected in June as consumers remain resilient despite inflation
A pedestrian carries a shopping bag while walking through Union Square on May 17, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Consumer spending held up during June’s inflation surge, with retail sales rising slightly more than expected for the month amid rising prices across most categories, the Commerce Department reported Friday. Advance […]
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Fed Governor Waller expects 0.75 percentage point hike, but open to a larger one
Christopher Waller, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for governor of the Federal Reserve, speaks during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he’s willing to consider what would be the most aggressive interest rate […]
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Powell, Clarida cleared of wrongdoing in Fed trading controversy
Controversial trading activities from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and former Vice Chairman Richard Clarida didn’t break any rules or laws, the central bank’s Office of Inspector General ruled Thursday. The report covered a period from 2019-21 when the two top-ranking officials traded stocks and funds while the central bank used monetary policy to influence […]
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Big payroll gains push recession fears into the corner — for now
A worker wearing a protective mask slices beef in the butcher section of a Stew Leonard’s supermarket in Paramus, New Jersey, on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images June’s big payroll jump helped clear away some of those recession clouds for a U.S. economy that nonetheless faces some stormy weather […]
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Payrolls increased 372,000 in June, more than expected, as jobs market defies recession fears
Job growth accelerated at a much faster pace than expected in June, indicating that the main pillar of the U.S. economy remains strong despite pockets of weakness. Nonfarm payrolls increased 372,000 in the month, better than the 250,000 Dow Jones estimate and continuing what has been a strong year for job growth, according to data […]
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Fed officials Waller and Bullard back another big interest rate increase in July
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C. Sarah Silbiger | Reuters The Federal Reserve is well on its way to another sharp interest rate hike in July and perhaps September as well, even if it slows the economy, according to statements Thursday from two policymakers. Fed Governor Christopher Waller left little […]
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