- We think the core PCE deflator rose by only 0.11% in November; the trend is slowing sharply.
- Consumers’ spending is still rising, but the rate of growth is moderating after the Q3 jump.
- Aircraft and autos likely lifted November orders, but expect a soft core.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Layoffs still very depressed, but people are finding it harder to secure new jobs.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The latest WARN data suggest layoffs remain low, but seasonals will lift initial claims in the next few weeks…
- …And rising continuing claims suggest people who lose their jobs are taking longer to find new positions.
- The jump in December confidence tells us that people like cheaper gas and rising stocks; who knew?
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
People really like a rising stock market and falling gas prices
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- FOMC speeches move markets, but they are not a reliable guide to what will happen in three months.
- The surge in November single-family starts is noise, not signal; expect a correction in December.
- People’s uneasiness over the labor market signals a gradually upward trend in unemployment.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Homebase signals December payroll growth of about 225K; no sign of further weakening yet.
- Lower rates are beginning to cheer homebuilders, who will gain further market share as home sales rise.
- Single-family construction is rebounding, fitfully, but the multi-family rollover has further to go.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The Fed’s forecasts imply remarkable stability in GDP growth and unemployment for the next three years…
- …They are likely to be wrong, and the risks to their numbers for next year are mostly to the downside.
- Homebuilders’ sentiment likely is rebounding as mortgage rates drop, with more to come.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Retail sales data suggest Q4 consumption is on course for a 2½% gain, but that could change.
- Households’ real liquid assets are back to their pre-Covid trend; the pandemic excess is gone.
- Manufacturing production likely rebounded strongly last month after the UAW strike, but the trend is flat.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Chair Powell says the Fed is done—probably—but still doesn’t want to talk about when they’ll ease.
- The inflation forecasts still look very cautious, and likely will be undershot.
- Headline November retail sales constrained by cheaper gas, but the core likely was soft too.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
Margins have stopped rising, but yet to start falling, auto dealers excepted.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The FOMC likely will cut its inflation and interest forecasts, but will push back against easing talk.
- Core disinflation pressure remains intense, but core services inflation is still too high.
- PPI margin inflation is now close to zero, but it could easily fall well below zero next year.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- We look for a 0.2% November core CPI print, but a 0.3% increase is more likely than 0.1%.
- The bigger picture, though, is that core disinflation is well underway, and has much further to run.
- The NFIB index likely rebounded in November, but the details of the survey are what matter.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The most important number Friday was the steep drop in consumers’ inflation expectations…
- …The reported dip in the unemployment rate was much too small to be statistically significant.
- Growth in cyclically-sensitive payrolls is now quite slow, but it’s unlikely to roll over anytime soon.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Homebase and the ISM services employment index signal upside payroll risk for November.
- But the underlying state of the labor market is weakening, and wage growth is slowing.
- Look at the Michigan expectations index, not the headline; it’s a better predictor of actual spending.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The gap between the GDI and GDP numbers is unusually large by historic standards...
- ...Undercounting of interest payments means that big upward revisions to GDI are a good bet.
- ISM services signals modest and steady growth, but hints at a hefty bounce in October payrolls.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- Higher rates and tighter lending standards are depressing credit and constraining spending…
- …But the hit is modest, so far, and the deterioration in credit quality is not yet alarming.
- Initial jobless claims are wild around Thanksgiving, but look for a further increase in continuing claims.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
- The quits rate fell much further than implied by the drop in unemployment during the Great Rehiring…
- …It correctly signalled that wage gains would rocket, but now it tells the opposite story.
- ISM services has tracked sideways in recent months, net; the pattern likely continued in November.
Ian Shepherdson (Chief Economist, Chairman and Founder)US
