Economic Update for April 16, 2018
Highlights of news-making events of the past week, from the economy and profits to Europe and interest rates.
- The CPI declined 0.1% and core CPI rose 0.2% in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics stated
- The Producer Price Index for final demand advanced 0.3% in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
- Import prices remained stable while export prices rose in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Initial jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 233,000 in the week ended April 7, 2018, the Labor Department found
- For the 12-month period ended March 31, 2018, net dividend increases for U.S. stocks rose 36.5%, reaching $45.1 billion, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices
- The University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment fell to 97.8 in April from 101.4 in March
- Small business optimism remained high in March. It has been in the survey’s highest 5% for 16 months, the NFIB reported
- Euro area industrial production fell by 0.8% in February, Eurostat reported
- The euro area posted a trade surplus in February, Eurostat noted
- Consumer prices climbed 1.6% in March, according to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office
- The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose
- China’s nominal GDP growth could begin to decline
- There is a mismatch between the low-volatility market environment and policy uncertainty
- Fed tightening measures could potentially contribute to inverting the yield curve in 2018
