By Tom Burnett CFA According to the September 3, 2021, issue of the FACTSET earnings report, the second quarter earnings growth for the S/P 500 Index companies exceeded 90.9%, compared to the earnings for the second quarter of 2020. Last year’s second quarter formed a low base, however, as the Covid-19…
By Tom Burnett CFA On September 3, 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the employment data for August 2021. Total employment rose by 235,000 in August, well below general forecasts of more than 700,000. Despite the lower than expected increase, total jobs have increased by 17 million from the…
By Tom Burnett CFA On August 27, 2021, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell gave an important policy speech at a virtual meeting of the annual Jackson Hole Fed gathering. In his speech, Powell made it clear that substantial progress had been made on the overall employment picture. He warned, however…
By Tom Burnett CFA According to the FACTSET report for August 13, 2021, more than 90% of the S/P 500 Index companies have reported first half results for the 2021 year. Based on the reports published thus far, FACTSET estimates that the S/P 500 companies will achieve year-over-year earnings growth of…
By Tom Burnett CFA On August 11, 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the consumer price index information for the month of July. The CPI increased by 0.5% in July, down from an increase of 0.9% in June. The July increase was the lowest rate since the 0.4% for the month of February. Over...