Consumer sentiment toward the economy, a vital metric for gauging whether consumers are feeling comfortable enough to make major purchases, showed positive signs at the outset of 2026. However, per the latest findings from the University of Michigan’s Survey of Consumers, sentiment has started to dip. The index of Consumer Sentiment fell from 56.6 in…

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Despite some reports showing lower trends in inflation, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure continues to remain elevated ahead of possible complications from geopolitical tension, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index grew 0.3% in January, with annual inflation at 2.8%. This is a…

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Inflation appeared to once again be on the right track for the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, economists are feeling uncertain about whether the trend will continue as the economy faces potential fallout from geopolitical issues—most notably, the war in Iran. The BLS’s…

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Consumers’ perception of the economy plays as vital a role in shaping market activity as hard economic data, as consumers will want to know whether the economy is on solid footing before they make a major financial decision (such as buying a home).  The latest report on Consumer Confidence from the nonprofit Conference Board—based on…

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Economic data appears to be affirming that an interest rate is not coming for a few months as the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation measure heated up despite a winter freeze, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index increased 0.4% in December, putting annual inflation…

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New-home sales picked up sharply in November and December, according to the latest release from the U.S. Census Bureau, in a somewhat surprising—and welcome—indicator that housing demand remains persistent against macro uncertainty. New-home sales were up 12.3% year-over-year in November and jumped 3.8% in December during what is normally a slower time for transactions. Single-family…

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At the end of 2025, the leading indicators of the economy suggested a slowing contraction, but enduring consumer cynicism. The latest Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) report from nonprofit business research organization The Conference Board found a 0.2% decline in December, compared to a 0.3% decline in November.  The report’s baseline (measured against 2016, rated at…

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January appears to be looking up in terms of inflation as the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics saw the Consumer Price Index (CPI) hit a low for both inflation and core inflation. The CPI for January saw a 0.2% increase in the all items index, landing annual inflation at 2.4%. This is…

The post Inflation Hits New Lows as 2026 Outlook Brightens appeared first on RISMedia.

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On the heels of the decision from the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) to hold interest rates steady, the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data appears to support the decision as jobs and unemployment saw improvement in January. The latest Employment Situation Summary—aka the jobs report—saw the U.S. add 130,000 jobs in January, and…

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Along with low interest rates and the infusion of money from federal stimulus, one of the factors that drove the pandemic boom market was a surge in so-called “housing mobility,” meaning the overall propensity of people to pick up and move. That metric rose to its highest level in almost 20 years back in 2021,…

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