05|05|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | May 2, 2025

Unemployment: Jobs data were mixed this week. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 177,000 (Apr), exceeding the 138,000 forecasted. However, JOLTS job openings fell from 7.480M (Feb) to 7.192M (Mar), missing...

04|28|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | April 25, 2025

Housing and Building: Existing Home Sales declined to 4.02M (Mar) from 4.27M (Feb), reflecting a month-over-month drop of 5.9%. Building permits increased from 1.459M (Feb) to 1.467M (Mar), but...

04|21|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | April 18, 2025

Retail Sales: Retail Sales (MoM)(Mar) jumped 1.4%, the largest monthly increase since January 2023. Core Retail Sales (MoM)(Mar) were also positive, though the increase was a more modest 0.5...

04|14|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | April 11, 2025

In reviwing Core Consumer Prices (excluding volatile food and energy), they rose just 0.1% in March which were below expectations and the smallest monthly increase since June 2024. On...

03|24|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | March 21, 2025

Retail Sales: Retail Sales (MoM)(Feb) ticked up just 0.2%, falling short of the 0.6% forecast. The reading points to a possible slowdown in consumer spending, which is a key...

03|10|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | March 7, 2025

Manufacturing & Services: February’s ISM data showed a divergence between sectors. Manufacturing PMI decreased from 50.9 to 50.3. Non-Manufacturing (Services) PMI rose from 52.8 to 53.5. 50 marks contraction/expansion. Be...

03|03|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | February 28, 2025

Consumer Goods & Materials: The Core PCE Price Index (Jan) (MoM) rose 0.3%, as expected. The index increased by 2.6% YoY, the lowest since last July. Core PCE, which...

02|25|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | February 21, 2025

Housing and Building: Housing starts (MoM) (Jan), which measures the change in the number of new constructions underway, declined 9.8%. The annualized number came in at 1.366M, less than...

02|03|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | January 31, 2025

Consumer Goods & Materials: U.S. Core PCE Price Index (MoM) (Dec), the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, ticked up from 0.1% to 0.2%, in line with expectations. Year-over-year, the index...

01|27|2025

Leading Indicator Watch | January 24, 2025

S&P 500: In market news this past week, the S&P 500 rose 104.58 points, closing at 6,101.24 (up 3.73% YTD). Market volatility, as measured by The CBOE Volatility Index...