Category: Economy

Housing starts increased 3.9% in July to a 1.452 million annual rate, narrowly beating the consensus expected 1.450 million.  Starts […]

Retail sales rose 0.7% in July (+1.0% including revisions to prior months), beating the consensus expected gain of 0.4%.  Retail […]

Wars cost money, and throughout history countries have borrowed to fight them.  There are plenty of examples of wars bankrupting […]

The Producer Price Index (PPI) rose 0.3% in July, coming in above the consensus expected +0.2%. Producer prices are up […]

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2% in July, matching consensus expectations.  The CPI is up 3.2% from a year […]

The trade deficit in goods and services came in at $65.5 billion in June, slightly larger than the consensus expected […]

Nonfarm payrolls increased 187,000 in July, narrowly lagging the consensus expected 200,000.  Payroll gains for May and June were revised […]

The ISM Non-Manufacturing index declined to 52.7 in July, below the consensus expected 53.1 (Levels above 50 signal expansion; levels […]

Nonfarm productivity (output per hour) increased 3.7% at an annual rate in the second quarter, easily beating the consensus expected […]

The ISM Manufacturing Index increased to 46.4 in July, lagging the consensus expected 46.9. (Levels higher than 50 signal expansion; […]

Austrians are different than Keynesians.  Austrians think recessions are caused by government failure, while Keynesians think they are caused by […]

Personal income rose 0.3% in June (+0.4% including revisions to prior months), lagging the consensus expected +0.5%.  Personal consumption rose […]