brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 June’s NFIB Small Business Optimism Index edged down 0.2 points to 98.6, missing the 98.7 forecast and slipping from May's 98.8 reading. It remains near the 51-year average of 98. Rising inventory concerns and weaker sales expectations weighed on sentiment, while 19% of […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 The monthly labor report was released on Thursday, a day early in front of the holiday, and pointed towards strength in the job market. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 147,000, which was well above consensus expectations, and in-line with the historic average. Initial jobless […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index in June fell below expectations of 99.5 to a reading of 93. The new report showed that consumers continue to feel nervous about potential impacts from tariffs on the job market and business conditions. The final estimate […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 U.S. retail sales fell 0.9% in May, missing the consensus estimate of -0.6%, marking the second consecutive monthly drop and the steepest decline since January. Core (Control Group) sales, excluding autos, gas, food service, and building materials, rose 0.4%, slightly above expectations of […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist HEADLINES: ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT After Israel struck nuclear facilities and military leadership in Iran, the two Middle Eastern countries exchanged barrages of missiles over the weekend. This followed a stalemate in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran regarding the latter’s nuclear program. After multiple days of […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing index for May registered 48.5, falling short of the 49.3 consensus and indicating a third straight month of contraction in the industrial sector. A reading above 50 signals expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index in May exceeded expectations and rose to a reading of 98. Consumer confidence increased after five consecutive months of declining readings stemming from uncertainty around potential impacts on prices and the economy from tariffs. In the latest […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 Existing home sales for April showed a slight decline of -0.5% month-over-month (MoM) as the annual rate of sales fell to 4.0 million per year. Existing home sales have fallen steadily since 2022. As mortgage rates have risen, homeowners have been unwilling to […]

brought to you by Philip Blancato, Osaic's Chief Market Strategist ECONOMIC REVIEW1 The Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in below expectations despite higher tariffs in April, notching the lowest annual reading since the inflation surge began in early 2021. Headline inflation increased 0.2% last month but lagged expectations for the third consecutive reading. Core inflation, […]