Research Center
Economy Watch: Bernanke Speaks, Sticks to Script
Chairman Bernanke held the Fed’s first-ever press conference on Wednesday; Moody’s is expecting the “toughest year so far” for state and local governments; and U.S. industrial production shows improvement.
Economy Watch: New Homes Sales Slightly Better than Terrible
New home sales inched back from the edge of abyss in March; Japan may be in for a recession this quarter; and the Fed prepares for its first press conference.
Economy Watch: Americans Grumpy about Economy, Federal Budget
Few Americans think the country is going in the right direction economically; Wal-Mart tries a grocery-delivery service; and Bank of America gets dismissed from an MBS lawsuit.
PODCAST: Economy Watch Weekly with Dees Stribling
For the week ending April 22, Wall Street was spooked by Standard & Poor’s, but not for long, and the housing market showed a few faint signs of life.
Economy Watch: FHFA Sees Housing Price Decline
The FHFA House Price Index dropped more than expected; Conference Board indicators point to better U.S. business conditions; and the Obama administration goes after fraud in oil markets.
Economy Watch: Existing Home Sales See Uptick in March
Existing home sales were up unexpectedly; the Fed proposes new mortgage underwriting rules to make lending more stable and sane; and a couple of dysfunctional millionaires see their baseball team taken away.
Economy Watch: Housing Starts See Modest Rise in March
Housing starts experienced an unexpected uptick in March; unemployment dropped in two-thirds of U.S. states; and a jury finds Lee Farkas guilty of multiple counts of bank fraud.
Economy Watch: Ratings Agency Casts Cold Eye on U.S. Debt
Standard & Poor’s downgrades its rating of U.S. debt; homebuilder confidence slips even more; and a growing party in the Finnish government wants to cut off E.U. bailouts.
Economy Watch: Opening Salvos in Budget Wars
The House of Representatives voted for a symbolic federal budget on Friday afternoon, one which purports to cut the deficit by $6 trillion or so over the next decade and upend Medicare and Medicaid, previously considered (with Social Security) the third rail of federal spending.
PODCAST: Economy Watch Weekly with Dees Stribling
For the week ending April 15, consumers plan to cut spending in the face of higher gas prices, and the government might cut spending too–but there’s no agreement on how just yet.