World Bank Lowers Global GDP Growth Estimates

By Tom Burnett CFA On June 7, 2022, the World Bank released its mid-year economic forecast report, updating the estimates from it January 2022 report. All the major economic regions have been downgraded in terms of economic growth as defined by GDP (Gross Domestic Product). We note that the latest projections…

By Tom Burnett CFA According to the June 7 edition of WSJ.com, the commodities group is by far the best performing asset class of the 2022 year. The Bloomberg Commodity Index is up 37.5% this year, led by the energy and food sectors. Natural Gas has risen an astonishing 149.9% and gasoline is up 88.2%…

By Tom Burnett CFA On June 3, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the employment data for the month of May. Total employment increased by 390,000 to just over 152 million, down by only 822,000 from the February 2020 high (prior to the Covid-19 outbreak). The unemployment rate was 3.6%, unchanged…

By Tom Burnett CFA According to the Federal Reserve History publication, dated November 22, 2013, the Recession of 1981-82 was the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Looking back, that period was burdened with double-digit inflation which led the Federal Reserve, under Chairman Paul…

By Tom Burnett CFA Using returns data from the WSJ.com website for May 26, 2022, it is obvious that commodities are the leading performance group among investor alternatives. The Bloomberg Commodity Index has risen 33.2% this year, led by a stunning increase of 141% for natural gas. Gasoline has risen…