804.612.9700
Advisor Login Contact Us

MAY’S  UNEMPLOYMENT DATA RELEASED AT 8:30

May’s unemployment data is released at 8:30.  The narrative is rising the economy is slowing at a pace that would permit the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates later this year.  Perhaps the trajectory of interest rates is more important today than ever before given the gargantuan national debt of over $35 trillion and growing. … Read more

ISM SERVICES SURVEY WAS STRONGER THAN EXPECTED

The ISM Service survey expanded in May by the most in nine months, exceeding all forecasts in a Blomberg survey of economists.  The ISM business activity index—which parallels the group’s factory output gauge—had the largest monthly advance since March 2021 and is at the highest level since November 2022. The majority of respondents stated “employment … Read more

JOLTS JOB SURVERY SURPRISED ON DOWNSIDE…

Job openings in April fell to the lowest level in over three years.  Available positions decreased to 8.06 million from a downward adjusted number of 8.36 million in the prior month according to the JOLTS Job Openings Survey.   The figure was below all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. Placing the data into perspective, … Read more

A BIG DATA WEEK

The bond market rallied as the inflation data met expectations, but mega sized tech at one time declined about 2% before a late day surge. As noted last week, during the month of May mega cap shares advanced as Treasuries swooned, the inverse of the expectations.Overnight index swap contracts tied to upcoming Fed policy meetings … Read more

A RELATIVELY QUIET DAY

Markets were relatively quiet as the data largely met expectations. Equites declined about 0.5% and Treasuries rallied across the curve.Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said he expects inflation to continue falling in the second half of the year, adding that elevated borrowing costs are restraining the economy.Williams said that while inflation … Read more

ANOTHER WEAK TREASURY AUCTION

Stocks and bonds fell as another weak sale of Treasuries raised concerns about swelling supply that could keep diving yields higher at time when the Federal Reserve is signaling rates will be higher for longer.Longer maturities led Treasury market losses with 30-year yields rising over nine basis points to over 4.75%.Bloomberg wrote yesterday the narrow … Read more

SOME SOBERING THOUGHTS

JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon reiterated comments that today’s geopolitical environment is the most difficult and dangerous in at least two generations.I vaguely recall the “duck and cover” drills in the 1960’s, drills promoted by the government to protect children in schools if a nuclear attack occurred. To remind all, students were instructed to duck underneath … Read more

WILL THE TREND OF CHINA SELLING THE US TREASURY ACCELERATE?

Equites were relatively quiet yesterday.  Treasury yields, however, increased across the spectrum. Bloomberg reported yesterday that China sold a record amount of Treasuries during the first quarter.  According to the US Treasury Department, Beijing sold a total of $53.3 billion of Treasuries and agency bonds, perhaps an indicator of a larger trade war lurking just … Read more

THE CPI MET EXPECTATIONS

A measure of inflation largely met expectations and declined in April for the first time in six months, a small step in the right direction for the Federal Reserve officials looking to start cutting interest rates this year. The core CPI—which excludes food and energy costs—climbed 0.3% from March, snapping a streak of three above … Read more