The economy is not the stock market

Money, Lifestyle, Peek of the WeekLeif HagenNovember 28, 2022#inflation, #blackfriday, #cybermonday, #shopping, #fed, #ratehikes, #rates, #employment, #supplyanddemand, #malls, #supply, #demand, #economy, #stockmarket, #stocks

The state of the economy is open to interpretation

Today, gauging the state of the American economy is akin to interpreting abstract art. Many economic indicators suggest the economy remains strong despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool it off. Read our Peek of the Week to learn more about rate hikes, sticky inflation, a vibrant labor market, a booming manufacturing sector, optimistic consumers and yet very confused investors. While economic data is open to interpretation, one thing is for sure: many investors are not happy.

Is it a recession or isn't it?

Hello, August! As we begin a new week and a new month, it seems like each day brings the question, "is it a recession, or isn't it?!" Our Peek of the Week reexamines last week's analysis about economic growth in the United States and how it's slowed for two consecutive quarters. We discuss how the GDP (gross domestic product) is measured and how it's contributing to our current inflation and our potential recession.

Retail sales are slowing as inflation numbers get released

What's the difference between volatility and risk? Our Peek of the Week analyzes the recent inflation numbers, current retail sales data, and the risks involved with market volatility. We do our best to explain the difference between risk and volatility. You may have noticed... we are hearing the word "inflation" A LOT and feeling the rising prices to go with it. Mainly, it's a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the supply chain bottlenecks with no end in sight at the moment.

Predicting an upcoming recession is like flipping a coin

The stock market has been dropping, but it's important to know the stock market isn't very accurate when it comes to predicting recessions. And it sure seems like that's the word being thrown around these days: recession. The fact is, bear markets in stocks lead to recessions only about 53 percent of the time. In other words, the stock market has about the same predictive value for recessions as a simple coin toss. Let that sink in!

The pace of inflation slows, optimism grows

The three major U.S. stock market indices moved higher last week... for the first time in weeks. Prior to the increase, we saw investors reassess their approach and predictions. Today's Peek of the Week explains how strong corporate profits, more attractive share prices and the Fed's potential slowdown of rate hikes have brought us a stock market rally. And we appreciate it!