Peter's Blog

Jobs Report: Not Strong Enough to Prevent a Soft Pivot

According to the BLS, the economy added 263k jobs in November with a modest revision up in October from 261k to 284k but a revision down in September from 365k to 269k. October was a beat against median expectations of 200k. The employment rate (black line) stayed flat at 3.7% while the labor force participation ticked […]

J. Powell’s Do-Si-Do: SchiffGold Friday Gold Wrap Dec. 2, 2022

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell came out this week and indicated the central bank is set to pivot away from its aggressive rate hikes. But he couched the announcement in hawkish terms. The markets bought the pivot and ignored the hawkishness. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap podcast, host Mike Maharrey puts Powell’s […]

The Fed’s Fundamental Problem

Inflation was running rampant for months before the Federal Reserve launched its inflation fight. As you’ll recall, we were told over and over again that inflation was transitory. But now that the central bank is on the job, most people are confident Powell and Company can get rising prices back under control. Perhaps they shouldn’t […]

Fed Soft Pivot in Play; Markets Ignore J. Powell’s Hawkish Talk

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell all but confirmed a soft pivot by the central bank in its inflation fight on Wednesday, while trying to maintain a hawkish demeanor. The markets appear to be buying the pivot, but they are ignoring Powell’s “tough guy” spin.

Comex Results: Why Is December So Quiet?

While the data this month looks weak, I think there is more to the story. My hypothesis is speculative in nature, so I will save it for the end after going through the data.

Investors Fleeing Housing Market as Bubble Deflates

In another bad sign for a housing bubble that is quickly deflating, investor purchases of single-family homes tanked in the third quarter. Meanwhile, overall home sales continue to tumble and prices are falling.

Consumer Confidence Declines for Second Straight Month

The powers that be keep telling you that the economy is fine and inflation has likely peaked. But you’re not buying the story. Consumer confidence fell for the second straight month in November as worries about inflation and the trajectory of the economy persist.

Why the Definition of Inflation Matters

When people talk about “inflation” today, they generally mean rising prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). But historically, “inflation” was more precisely defined as an increase in the amount of money and credit causing advances in the price level. Inflation used to be understood as an increase in the money supply. Rising […]

Recession Warning: US Small Businesses Struggling to Pay Rent

In another sign of a struggling economy, small businesses are having an increasingly hard time paying rent. According to Alignable’s November Rent Poll, 41% of US small businesses reported they couldn’t pay their rent in full and on time in November. That was a 4 percentage-point increase from the previous month.

Inflation Bites: Thanksgiving Meal Up 20% Compared to Last Year

Based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prices were up 7.7% year-on-year in October. That’s a pretty hefty inflationary bite. But we’ve been saying the impact of inflation is a lot worse. The increased cost of a Thanksgiving meal this year bears that out.