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Economy

Philip Jefferson

Fed vice chair focused on ‘hard data’ amid uncertainty

Economy, Inflation, Politics and policy, Tariffs /

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson.Bloomberg News The Federal Reserve’s second-in-command is looking for solid evidence of the impact of tariffs before throwing his support behind changing interest rates. In a Wednesday morning speech, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said the central bank’s current monetary policy stance gives it the flexibility needed to respond to […]

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What rate lock activity means for the Spring purchase market

Economy, LOAN PRODUCTS, Mortgage Rates, Originations, Underwriting /

April’s increase in rate lock activity does lend some support to the optimistic views on Spring’s market, according to Optimal Blue. Its Market Volume Index, a measurement of rate lock activity, was at 109 for April. This was up from 105 in March, a gain of 3.2%, and 103 for April 2024, 5.9% higher. This

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consumer spending - shopping - image

CPI inflation continues to trend down despite tariff rollout

Economy, Inflation, Monetary policy, Politics and policy /

Bloomberg News Prices continued to trend down toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% target last month despite the rollout of sweeping tariff hikes. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in April for an annualized increase of 2.3%. Core CPI, which factors out food and energy, was up 0.2% on the month and 2.8% year over year.

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Most economists expect rate cuts after July

Economy, Housing markets, Mortgage Rates /

Economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer remain solidly behind the notion that the Federal Open Market Committee will reduce short-term rates in 2025. Its May Blue Chip Economic Indicators report even included the possibility that the Fed could actually raise interest rates in 2025 based on comments made by Chairman Jerome Powell which the authors noted

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shipping California

U.S.-China tariff truce gives banks hope amid uncertainty

Ag lending, Economy, Politics and policy, Tariffs /

Bloomberg News The U.S. and China have agreed to pause the bulk of their tariff policies against one another for 90 days, sending a jolt of optimism through the banking sector and its investors. The temporary truce was struck over the weekend and announced on Monday, causing stocks to rally and credit spreads to tighten

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Adriana Kugler

Fed’s Kugler: Tariffs present stagflation-like pressure

Economy, Politics and policy, Tariffs /

Federal Reserve Gov. Adriana Kugler on Monday warned U.S. tariffs could propel higher inflation and curb economic growth.  While Kugler’s remarks — delivered at the International Economic Symposium in Dublin — argued that the U.S. economy had shown resilience up until now, she characterized the coming impact of tariffs as a negative supply shock that

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