March Consumer Price Index Rose 1.2% From Prior Month

By Tom Burnett CFA On April 12, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the Consumer Price Index data for March. The Index rose 1.2% from the prior month and is now up 8.5% from a year earlier. The increase in February was 0.8% and the March figure was the highest since the 0.9% increase...

By Tom Burnett CFA According to the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) in its April 4, 2022, press release, total options trading volume in the first quarter was the highest quarterly volume ever recorded. March volume was the second highest monthly volume ever recorded. March total volume was…

By Tom Burnett CFA Many investors are looking for individual names or stocks to participate in a particular investment theme. For example, the adverse ransomware attacks on large companies or enterprises has led to a focus on companies that can prevent or minimize cyber attacks. One way to find individual…

By Tom Burnett CFA On April 1, 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the employment situation for March 2022. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 and the unemployment rate fell from 3.8% to 3.6%. The number of unemployed persons fell by 318,000 to 6.0 million. In February 2020,…

By Tom Burnett CFA On March 16, 2022, the Federal Reserve (“Fed”) announced that it has decided to raise the target Fed Funds rate by 0.25% to a range of 0.25% to 0.50%. The increase is the first hike since 2018. The Fed vote was not unanimous, however, since Governor Bullard voted for an increase…