The Fed has been saying that inflation is transitory.  Then they released a Federal Open Market Committee policy statement on Wednesday that accelerated the timeline of raising interest rates to 2023.  The Fed raised key interbank lending rates yesterday, while the St. Louis Fed President was interviewed today and said that he expects an initial rate increase in late 2022.  If inflation is transitory, why is the Fed accelerating [...]

We all saw some of our favorite stores and neighborhood establishments shut down for much of last year.  Most stores were closed due to government mandated lockdowns related to the pandemic, which led some to permanently close for economic reasons. So, how did the retail sector fare during this time? Surprisingly, it appears that the overall retail numbers may have fared better than the office sector, though part of [...]

Inflation is starting to hit the grocery aisle.  A measure that gauges the price of food has risen for twelve straight months, according to the UN agency that tracks the statistics, the longest stretch in a decade.  Contributing factors include a drought in South America that has devasted crop production of corn, soybeans, coffee and more.  Purchases from China have also set records, adding pricing and supply pressure to [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta recently hosted its 25th annual Financial Markets Conference to address monetary policy and the role of the U.S. dollar in international financial markets.  The two-day event included an armchair discussion featuring former Treasury Secretary and President Emeritus at Harvard University Larry Summers and Dave Altig, Executive Vice President and Director of Research at the Atlanta Fed. Here is a description of the meeting [...]