Economy

“Retail sales increased 0.2% in February, though spending up less than expected”

“Retail sales increased 0.2% on the month, better than the downwardly revised decline of 1.2% the prior month but below the Dow Jones estimate for a 0.6% rise. The so-called control group, which strips out noncore sectors and feeds directly… Continue Reading…

Economy

“U.S. budget deficit surged in February, passing $1 trillion for year-to-date record”

“…Government spending eased slightly on a monthly basis though it still far outpaced revenue, according to a Treasury Department statement Wednesday. The deficit totaled just over $307 billion for the month, nearly 2½ times what it was in January and… Continue Reading…

Economy

“U.S. payroll growth totals 151,000 in February, less than expected”

“Nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 151,000 on the month, better than the downwardly revised 125,000 in January but less than the 170,000 consensus forecast. Federal government employment declined by 10,000 in February though government payrolls overall rose by… Continue Reading…

Cryptocurrencies

“Bitcoin briefly tumbles below $50,000 for the first time since February” [Aug 5 2024]

“Bitcoin dipped to $49,111.10 at one point — its lowest level and first time under $50,000 since February — after trading close to $70,000 a week ago. The moves follow a broader market sell-off that began last week, when a… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Consumer prices rose 0.4% in February and 3.2% from a year ago”

“… …” https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/12/cpi-inflation-report-february-2024-.html

Real Estate

“Home sales spike 14.5% in February as the median price drops for the first time in over a decade…”

“Sales of previously owned homes rose 14.5% in February compared with January, according to a seasonally adjusted count by the National Association of Realtors. That put sales at an annualized rate of 4.58 million units. It was the first monthly… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Private payrolls rose by 242,000 in February, better than expected, ADP says”

“…Private payrolls increased by 242,000 for the month, ahead of the Dow Jones estimate for 205,000 and well above the upwardly revised 119,000 jobs gain, from 106,000, in January. Wage growth decelerated slightly, with those remaining in their jobs seeing… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Newsom urged Californians to cut water use by 15%. In February they saved less than 1%

“Total water usage in California cities and towns decreased by just half a percent in February compared with the same month in 2020, a far cry from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of reducing urban water use by 15%… Newsom in… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Inflation rose 7.9% in February, as food and energy costs push prices to highest in more than 40 years”

“…The consumer price index, which measures a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, increased 7.9% over the past 12 months, a fresh 40-year high for the closely followed gauge, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics… Food prices rose… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Food prices jump 20.7% yr/yr to hit record high in Feb, U.N. agency says”

“World food prices hit a record high in February, led by a surge in vegetable oils and dairy products, to post a 20.7% increase year-on-year, the U.N. food agency said on Friday…FAO said its vegetable oils index rose 8.5% month-on-month… Continue Reading…