1. Economic Outlook: Investors Keep Calm and Carry On
(Matching tags: Economic Outlook,economic indicators,economy,markets,stocks,bonds)

The Portfolio Strategies Group of SEI has released its first-quarter 2013 Economic Outlook. Some of the highlights are:

2. February Car Sales Strong Despite Payroll Tax Increase And Sequester
(Matching tags: economy)

February car sales were slightly weaker than January, but they were stronger than last year by 7%. Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, and General Motors saw their sales rise, while Honda and Nissan saw declines. ...

3. Recovery In U.S. Is Lifting Profits, But Not Adding Jobs
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook)

The U.S. recovery is a strange one, by historical measures. Stock prices are soaring but companies are not hiring, and Federal budget cuts are expected to widen the gap. This analysis is troubling because ...

4. Fed Says Slight Rise In Interest Rates Is Sign QE Stimulus Is Working
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,economic indicators)

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke testified to the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday that interest rates have increased slightly as a sign that the economy is recovering.   He said it ...

5. Durable Goods Orders Fall But Show Underlying Strength Excluding Defense And Aircraft
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,economic indicators)

Durable goods orders fell primarily on the sharpest decline in over a decade in Pentagon orders for long-lasting manufactured products.   Overall orders fell to 5.2% in January to a seasonally ...

6. Housing Market Is Economy's Bright And Shining Star But What Will Fix The Housing Finance System?
(Matching tags: economy,mortgage debt,banks)

Everything has sounded pretty rosy for the housing market as it has become the focus of hope for the economic recovery.   But the housing finance system isn’t shining quite as brightly. ...

7. Fed Meeting Minutes Show Increasing Likelihood That QE Program May End Sooner Than Expected
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,Federal Reserve)

The notes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in January indicated a shift in thinking toward the quantitative easing program consisting of $85 billion in bond purchases per month. ...

8. Greatest Technological Shift Since The Internet Is Only Just Beginning; Mobile Is Projected To Grow 66% Per Year Over The Next Five Years
(Matching tags: internet marketing,mobile apps,economy)

The advent of the internet was one of the largest technological shifts of our time but another significant shift is only just beginning: the growth of mobile.   Mobile data growth has been doubling ...

9. Home Builder Sentiment Wanes, Indicating Moderate Housing Recovery And Also Remaining Concerns
(Matching tags: Economic Outlook,economic indicators,economy)

Analysts are predicting that new home construction slowed a bit during January from a four-year high.   Momentum paused early in the year with builders breaking ground on 920,000, down from ...

10. Answers To 11 Questions From Advisors About The Philly Fed's Business Condition Indicator, Bull Market, Optimism, Government Debt, And More
(Matching tags: Economic Outlook,investing,economy)

How can Congressional Budget Office suggest 4.75% growth?  Doesn't this seem highly optimistic? Remember, the 4.75% is a “nominal” figure that includes inflation. CBO’s forecast ...

11. Labor Supply Expected To Increase 1.2% As Those Who Gave Up On Finding A Job Re-Enter The Search
(Matching tags: Economic Outlook,economy,Federal Reserve)

The labor supply will expand approximately 1.2% this year. Philadelphia Works, Inc. connects employers to prospective employees and the non-profit is seeing a pickup in the number of Americans seeking ...

12. How Do President Obama's Economic Statements Stack Up Against Other State Of The Union Addresses? Advisor One Traces 12 Past Presidents' Major Economic Themes
(Matching tags: economic indicators,Economic Outlook,economy)

In the annual State of the Union speech, presidents offer what they think will benefit the economy. Congress has already decided their opinions of President Obama’s ideas along party lines.   ...

13. Weekly Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected With Four-Week Average Still Near Five-Year Lows
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,economic indicators)

The labor market continues to improve overall despite apparent setbacks around the end of the year and in January.   Weekly jobless claims fell more than expected, declining by 27,000 to a seasonally ...

14. Healthcare Expenditures Are Declining And Are Also Shrinking The Budget Deficit
(Matching tags: healthcare,economy,medicaid)

A significant and consistent slowdown in the cost of healthcare is shrinking the budget deficit.   A report issued last week by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that hundreds of billions ...

15. Treasury Records Surplus For First Time In Five Years Based On New Tax Revenues
(Matching tags: deficit,Taxes,economy)

Higher revenue from payroll and individual income taxes pushed the Treasury into a budget surplus for the first time in five years.   Then, in January 2008, the Treasury had a $17.8 billion ...

16. Housing Prices Were Up During 4th Quarter Even As Economy Slowed
(Matching tags: economy,Economic Outlook,economic indicators)

Single-family home prices rose during the fourth quarter in 88% of US cities despite the slowdown in economic growth.   The low interest rate environment and improvement in the job market along ...

17. Revision Of Commerce Department Report Will Likely Show Small Increase, Not Decline, Of Fourth Quarter GDP
(Matching tags: deficit,economy,Economic Outlook)

The fourth quarter of 2012 saw the hiring of 603,000 workers but no increase in the amount of output.   That is one interpretation of the most recent set of data and it is likely to be revised ...

18. New CBO Report Predicts Reduction In Deficit Over Next Few Years And Also Shows What It Will Take To Restore Fiscal Stability
(Matching tags: Congress,debt,economy)

A recent report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says that the improving economy and recently enacted tax increases will bring down the federal deficit over the next few years.   The ...

19. 4Q2012 GDP Report Was A Clunker, But A Powerful Engine Is Under The Hood
(Matching tags: economy)

The economy ended 2012 in good and improving shape. Hidden under the clunker headline of a -0.1% contraction in fourth quarter real GDP (from the previous quarter at a seasonally adjusted annual rate) ...

20. Instead Of Investing In New Purchases And Company Growth, Companies Are Using Their Cash To Shore Up Defined Benefit Plans
(Matching tags: economy,Federal Reserve,retirement plans)

... is being poured into the funds as a side effect of the Fed’s monetary stimulus policy designed to reignite the economy.  ...