Economics

Since the recovery of the US economy following the "Great Recession" of 2007, unemployment has steadily declined but wages have remained virtually unchanged, an historic anomaly. However, wages for one segment of the population have seen a gradual up-tick: minimum...

American consumers are getting more confident while home prices continue to rise, as historical tailwinds turn to headwinds that are helping the country sustain its economic recovery. After a downturn in February, the Consumer Confidence Index rose to 101.3, an...

The US dollar is mostly lower as liquidity thins, and soft economic data kept the bulls penned.  The soft ADP estimate and weaker than expected manufacturing ISM offset the heightened rhetoric about Greece's 460 mln euro payment due to the...

Sometimes in politics, it is not the text that counts, but rather the context. Policies that are benign or even ignored by the electorate in one political constellation can suddenly fuel intense debate when there is a shift in the...

South Asia is home to a growing youth population and widely considered to benefit from the “demographic dividend” in the coming decades. The United Nations Population Fund’s State of World Population 2014 report The Power of 1.8 Billion: Adolescents, Youth...

High levels of immigration are often justified by the positive effect on economic growth, but there are powerful environmental and economic arguments for limiting the numbers. High levels of immigration are often justified by the positive effect on economic growth,...

A recent report by the Pew Charitable Trust has found that the middle class has definitely gotten smaller since 2000. But, with the economy on the rebound, should it not be growing again? A recent report by the Pew Charitable...

Americans saw their incomes rise in February, helping spending to rise slightly as goods and services become slightly more affordable. Personal incomes rose 0.4% in February, the same gain that incomes saw in January. A new report by the Bureau...

The US dollar remains bid as liquidity begins to slip away from the foreign exchange market, not to return until April 7.  The inability of the euro and especially sterling to trade higher despite favorable economic news is noteworthy.  At...

March may begin as a lion and end as lamb, but the US dollar is finishing the month as it began, with underlying strength. The main exception is the Japanese yen, against which the dollar is flat, perhaps a reflection...

The calendar impacts the investment climate.  March 31 ends the month, quarter, and for several countries and companies, the fiscal year.  The Easter holiday is typically among the quietest in the capital markets, with many financial centers closed.  After April...

The US dollar trended higher in Asia and early Europe, but the gains pared as the European session got under way, and the underlying trends remain intact.  Global equities are also winding down the month and quarter with upticks as...

The Federal Reserve is likely to raise short-term interest rates for U.S. Treasuries, despite fears such a move could hurt equities and kick start a recession. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen again reiterated the central bank’s cautionary position on interest...

Smarting from sanctions leveled by the US and other western nations after its actions in Crimea and the Ukraine, Russia has begun trying to woo Latin and South American nations into more favorable trade arrangements. But, what will the Russians...

As the stock market prepares to close later today, Yellen will deliver a speech on the new normal for monetary policy at a conference hosted by the San Francisco Federal Reserve, of which she was previously the President. The question...