Markets are higher this morning on overseas strength. Bonds and MBS are up small.
Personal Income came in at .4%, higher than the Street estimate. Personal Spending however disappointed. The PCE Core rate (the inflation rate preferred by the Fed) came in at 1.4%, lower than the Fed’s 2% target.
Pending Home Sales rose 3.1% in February, higher than the estimate. The Northeast was affected by the weather, but the Midwest jumped. February is a short month and during the seasonal slow period, so it is hard to read too much into these numbers.
Beard has a blog. Supposedly he will dish on his critics and go after the “audit the Fed” crowd. It might be interesting as a “Talking Points Memo” on monetary policy, where surrogates argue with critics, leaving the official participants out of it.
Filed under: Morning Report | 61 Comments »