News

Initial Jobless Claims fell slightly in the latest week, with 210,000 people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. This was a decline of 2,000 from the previous week. Continuing Claims rose by 24,000, with 1.819 million people still receiving benefits after filing their initial claim. What’s the bottom line? Initial Jobless Claims have hovered between […]

You’ll enjoy National Coffee Cake Day on April 7 thanks to this scrumptious and easy recipe courtesy of Allrecipes. Yields 15 servings. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. To make the streusel topping, combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium […]

The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which is considered the “gold standard” for appreciation, showed home prices nationwide rose 0.4% from December to January after seasonal adjustment. Home values in January were also 6% higher than a year earlier, with S&P DJI’s Head of Commodities, Brian D. Luke, explaining that this was the “fastest annual rate since […]

Pending Home Sales rose 1.6% from January to February per the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), which is another sign of underlying strength in the housing market given February’s uptick in rates. This report measures signed contracts on existing homes, making it an important forward-looking indicator for closings on these homes, which are measured in […]

After two consecutive months of gains, New Home Sales (which measure signed contracts on new homes) inched down 0.3% from January to February. While the media tried to put a negative spin on the report, home sales remaining stable in February shows some strength given that rates moved higher when compared to January. Plus, sales were […]

February’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) showed that headline inflation rose 0.3% from January, with the year-over-year reading up from 2.4% to 2.5%. Core PCE, the Fed’s preferred method which strips out volatile food and energy prices, rose by 0.3% monthly. The year-over-year reading fell from 2.9% to 2.8%, pushing this important metric one step closer […]

Initial Jobless Claims were relatively flat in the latest week, with 210,000 people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. This was a decline of 2,000 from the previous week. Continuing Claims rose by 4,000, with 1.807 million people still receiving benefits after filing their initial claim. What’s the bottom line? Initial Jobless Claims remain tame […]

Baseball is back! These ballpark inspired Honey Roasted Peanuts courtesy of The Spruce Eats are sure to be a homerun every time. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and […]

Housing Starts saw a big rebound in February, with both single-family and multi-family construction improving from January’s slump. When compared to a year ago, however, single-family starts were up 35.2% while multi-family starts were down 35.9%. This suggests that we’re seeing a shift from multi-family to single-family construction, which is welcome news as this is where supply is needed around […]

Existing Home Sales jumped 9.5% from January to February to a 4.38-million-unit annualized pace, reaching their highest level in a year per the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). This report measures closings on existing homes in February and likely reflects people shopping for homes in December and January, when rates were improved from last fall’s […]

Confidence among home builders broke above the key breakeven threshold of 50 and into positive territory for the first time since last July, per the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Their Housing Market Index climbed three points to 51 in March, which was also the fourth consecutive monthly gain. Any score over 50 on this index, which runs […]

After eleven rate hikes since March of 2022, the Fed once again left their benchmark Federal Funds Rate unchanged at a range of 5.25% to 5.5%. This decision was unanimous and marks the fifth straight meeting they held rates steady. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate for overnight borrowing for banks and it is not […]

March Madness means munchies! This Courtside Caramel Corn courtesy of Taste of Home will be a slam dunk with friends and family. Pop 6 quarts of popcorn and set aside. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 13×9-inch baking pans. In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups packed brown sugar, 1 cup butter (cubed), […]

Housing data will share headlines with the Fed, starting with builder confidence for March from the National Association of Home Builders on Monday. Tuesday brings news on February’s Housing Starts and Building Permits, while Existing Home Sales data follows on Thursday. The Fed’s meeting begins Tuesday, with their Monetary Policy Statement and press conference coming […]

Retail Sales rose 0.6% from January to February though this modest rebound was below estimates of an 0.8% gain. Sales in January were also revised downward from the originally reported 0.8% decline to a 1.1% decline when compared to December. What’s the bottom line? After a strong holiday shopping season, consumer spending has cooled in the […]