Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke made it clear… again. Interest rates will remain low, even when the labor market shows stronger signs of growth. He said that if inflation doesn’t exceed an annual rate of 2.5%, and unemployment stays above 6.5%, the Fed would keep its target rate near zero percent. Laying out “thresholds” is something new, but the basic message remains the same: low rates and no plans to change the status quo any time soon.
Daily Archives: December 12, 2012
Stress-Testing Forecasts For Tomorrow’s November Retail Sales Report
Will tomorrow’s retail sales update for November bring pain or pleasure for the increasingly delicate and high-stakes art/science of deciding where the business cycle’s headed? October’s report was somewhat sobering, thanks to a 0.3% drop in consumption—the first since June. Some of the weakness was blamed on Hurricane Sandy. If so, will November’s numbers bounce back after a month of relatively clear skies? Yes, according to the consensus forecast, which projects a handsome 0.4% rise, according to Briefing.com. Sounds good, but that’s a bit high relative to a pair of econometric models I routinely use for additional context when considering where the data’s headed.