Federal Reserve Lowers Fed Funds Rate by 50 Basis Points

By Tom Burnett CFA On September 18, 2024, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) voted to lower the Fed Funds rate by 50 basis points to a range of 4.75-5.0%. Of the 12 voting members, 11 voted in favor of the cut, one voted for a cut of 25 basis points. This action is the...

By Tom Burnett CFA On September 11, 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its August Consumer Price Index report. The CPI rose 0.2% in August, the same increase as in July. Over the past 12 months, the CPI rose 2.5%, the smallest 12-month increase since February 2021. The Core Index, excluding…

By Tom Burnett CFA On September 6, 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its Employment Report for August. Total employment increased by 142,000 from the prior month and now stands at 158.8 million. The unemployment rate fell from 4.3% to 4.2%, but is still higher than the 3.8% rate of one year…

By Tom Burnett CFA On August 14, 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its CPI report for July. The Index rose 0.2% in July, following an increase of 0.1% in June. The 12-month increase was 2.9%, the lowest rate of yearly increase since March 2021. The Core Index, excluding food and energy, rose…

We at Starboard hope this letter finds you well. We are writing to provide an update on the recent volatility and weakness observed in the financial markets over the past week…