Sharkey, Howes & Javer

Inside the Economy: Housing & Spending

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we take a closer look at recent consumer spending trends. Spending has started to stabilize. What are consumers doing with their money? In other news, forbearance and eviction protection is coming to an end this week. Will it be extended? All eyes continue to be on the Federal Reserve. What will their next actions be? Tune in to learn about all this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• 30 year mortgages continue to drop
• The 2020 recession was shortest on record
• Drought in the western states continue to pose problems

Inside the Economy: Inflation & Job Outlook

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we discuss inflation and the jobs outlook. Core inflation has continued to rise, reaching about 3.4% YOY. Spending has remained muted, savings rates are at all-time highs, food and gas prices have risen, but with the Federal Reserve’s target still at 2%, where will inflation be at the end of the year? Job growth is rebounding faster than any other recession Post WWII, but when will we see full employment? Tune in to learn about all this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• Personal savings rates continue to sit at all-time highs
• Medium home prices remain high with low market supply
• Low yields continue in investment-grade corporate bonds

2021 1st Quarter GDP estimate comes in at 6.4%

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we discuss inflation and the jobs outlook. Core inflation has continued to rise, reaching about 3.4% YOY. Spending has remained muted, savings rates are at all-time highs, food and gas prices have risen, but with the Federal Reserve’s target still at 2%, where will inflation be at the end of the year? Job growth is rebounding faster than any other recession Post WWII, but when will we see full employment? Tune in to learn about all this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• Personal savings rates continue to sit at all-time highs
• Medium home prices remain high with low market supply
• Low yields continue in investment-grade corporate bonds

2021 1st Quarter GDP estimate comes in at 6.4%

Inside the Economy: Is Inflation Transitory or Here to Stay?

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we take a deeper look at inflation. With core inflation rising to 3.8%, is this price inflation in the market a long-term trend or transitory? Unemployment numbers continue to shrink as unemployment benefits lessen and folks get back to work. U.S. imports begin to increase again as demand for cars and other goods skyrocket. TSA Checkpoint travel numbers have drastically increased, showing that Americans are ready for a summer vacation. There is a major drought out West, which states and industries have been affected the most? Tune in to hear about all this and more! 

Key Takeaways:

• Unemployment numbers have dropped to 5.8% as unemployment benefits decrease
• Corporate pensions are almost 100% funded, the first time since 2008
• The U.S. Stock market continues to climb, showing drastic improvements since June 2020
• TSA Traveler Throughput breached 2 million travelers in one day last week, the first time since March 2020
• Arizona manufacturing, California farmland and the almond industry may have a difficult 2021 due to a Western drought

Inside the Economy: Inflation Outlook and Spending

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we will address inflation and consumer spending. Core inflation year over year jumped in April. The Federal Reserve’s target is still 2%, where will it be at the end of the year? Spending is back to where it was, however, most consumers are still sitting on a lot of cash. Will this keep inflation at bay? Tune in to learn about all this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• Oil is little changed despite the cybersecurity issue on east coast
• 30 year mortgages continue to steady
• Hourly wages pick up as service industry reopens
• The U.S. dollar is still the world reserve currency, by a lot

Inside the Economy: Consumer Spending and Inflation

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we discuss the increase in consumer spending and the uptick in inflation. Inflation has seen a small increase, mainly driven from the current energy sector. There has been an increase in consumer spending, with the fastest pace of consumer spending on record this past March. The question is, will it continue and where is the money coming from? Personal savings has continued to grow to all-time highs as people continue to wait to spend money on travel, entertainment, etc. Tune in to learn about all this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• U.S. Retail Sales rise at second fastest pace on record
• Headline CPI grows higher, driven by energy, yet remains below 2%
• Personal savings continue to grow to all-time highs
• Earnings and profits drive stock market higher

Inside the Economy: Increased Inflation and the Housing Market

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we discuss the recent change in inflation and the current housing market. There has been a boost in headline inflation, driven by rising fuel prices and increased travel. Is this trend here to stay or is it a temporary reaction? Personal savings grew over the last year, but consumers are looking to make up for lost time with increased spending in 2021. Low housing inventory is driving up prices, but which sector of the housing market has the lowest supply? Tune in to learn about this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• Retail Sales hit a new high after a year of increased savings
• Headline CPI grows higher, driven by fuel prices, while Core CPI stays under 2%
• Gasoline supply returns to pre-pandemic levels as travel improves
• Sparce inventory in low-income housing has driven up prices, while interest rates remain low
• State and local tax revenue continued to grow in 2020, despite the pandemic

Inside the Economy: The Plan for Spending and Excessive Savings

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we examine the future of individual and government spending. Personal income has seen a boost in the last year, thanks to unemployment benefits and government stimulus. President Biden has released details for a $2 trillion dollar infrastructure plan. Where does he plan to spend the most money? Which tech giant has added over half a million jobs in the last year? Tune in to hear about all of this and more!

Key Takeaways:

• GDP numbers continue to slowly increase
• Biden’s Infrastructure plan includes spending $620 billion on transportation, with a large allotment to electric vehicles
• Corporate profits continue to grow
• In the last year, Amazon hired more employees than 136 other top companies combined
• Corporate taxes are relatively low, but most likely will see an increase

Inside the Economy: Interest Rates and the Inflation Boogeyman

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we discuss the current interest rate environment and fears of inflation. The 10 year treasury has continued to rise forcing bond prices lower. Where will the 10 year yield end up? Fears around inflation may be outweighing reality. The yield curve is steepening, but what does that mean? Will the new administration be able to close the funding gap? Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

• Oil prices remain steady
• Unemployment continues to trend in the right direction
• The housing market is still robust
• New business applications are on the rise

Inside the Economy: Debt Absorption and Rising Rates

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we take a look at the nation’s debt levels and the direction of interest rates. The recent movement in Congress on another stimulus package will add another $1.9 trillion to the nation’s debt. Are these debt levels sustainable? What’s the impact of the debt and will it be manageable when interest rates rise? The stock market has experienced recent volatility, specifically in the tech sector. Where will the index be at the end of 2021? Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

• Current stimulus package is around 9% of GDP
• Personal Income continues to rise due to stimulus checks
• Oil prices reach mid $60s
• Unemployment continues to decline

Inside the Economy: Inflation Status and the Bond Market

This week on “Inside the Economy”, we examine the state of inflation and the future of the bond market. The yield curve continues to normalize as long-term interest rates slowly creep up. Overall inflation has stayed low, but there are sectors that have seen major price inflation. We are still in the midst of a bull market; how do the last 11 months compare to previous bull markets? Investment-grade bonds were a place of comfort during a volatile year, but has that changed in 2021? Tune in to learn more!

Key Take-aways:

• Textbooks and college tuition led price inflation from 1996-2006
• As industrial and manufacturing production return to pre-pandemic levels, so does U.S. imports and exports
• The current bull market is up 75% from the low in March, the second largest bull market return
• Leveraged loans and high-yield debt start the year off strong
• Paying off all student debt would cost $1.5 trillion