Category: Commentary/Video
280 posts categorized as "Commentary/Video"
13Jan
FAQ 2022 – 2023

A Q&A into what we saw and where we are going. This frequently asked questions guide is an overview of 2022 and a look into 2023. CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO READ.
11Jan
Breakdown of the Latest Economic News

Astor’s CEO Rob Stein and CIO, John Eckstein discuss the breakdown of the latest economic news. MAS-M-334704-2023-01-09
20Dec
Outlook for inflation and the Fed

Astor’s CIO John Eckstein and Research Associate Nick Porter share their thoughts on inflation and the Fed. MAS-M-330565-2022-12-16
7Dec
December 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
The Astor Economic Index® declined further in the month of November to a level typically associated with a weak economic state. The economy is in an interesting position, with the labor market humming along, but some soft data point to substantial weakness in manufacturing. The latest non-farm payroll was interesting, and it’s worth going beyond…
18Nov
Gauging Fed and Market Reaction to CPI

Astor’s CIO John Eckstein and Research Associate Nick Porter share their thoughts on the Fed and Market Reaction to CPI. MAS-M-321021-2022-11-14
18Nov
November 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
The Astor Economic Index®, our nowcast of the U.S. economy, is essentially unchanged from the prior month at a level consistent with below-average economic output. Nonetheless, the intervening period has had several significant data prints, which we discuss below. In sum, recent trends suggest that the window to a soft(er) landing is now more open…
8Nov
Fed and Payroll Outlook

Astor’s CEO, Rob Stein, and CIO John Eckstein share their thoughts on the Fed and Payroll Outlook. MAS-M-318084-2022-11-06
19Oct
October 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
September brought little in the way of relief for those looking for a Fed pivot, and the Astor Economic Index® remained constrained at a below-average reading. As in recent months, the U.S. labor market is somewhat at odds with the global economy and other domestic data prints, with job gains elevated despite softening purchasing manager…
18Oct
The Latest Inflation News and Outlook

Astor’s CIO, John Eckstein, and Research Associate, Nick Porter discuss the latest inflation news and outlook. MAS-M-310193-2022-10-17
11Oct
Latest Unemployment Report and The Fed Outlook

Astor’s CEO, Rob Stein, and CIO, John Eckstein, discuss the latest unemployment report and the Fed outlook. MAS-M-308024-2022-10-11
3Oct
22Sep
Breaking down the latest Fed meeting

Astor’s CIO, John Eckstein, and Research Associate, Nick Porter, break down the latest fed meeting.
20Sep
Do You Want To Know What Is Going On With The Markets?
Do you want to know what is going on with the markets? It’s common sense duh. At times, doctors, politicians, professors, and economists make things sound complicated when there are obvious logical answers. My guess is that they need to feel superior because, well, you know…The Fed and many well-known economists are looking too deep…
9Sep
September 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy has proven resilient to firming monetary policy so far this year. The Astor Economic Index® (AEI) is at a level consistent with below-average growth but above outright recession. This is consistent with other nowcasts and forecasts of the U.S. economy: Bloomberg consensus for Q3 GDP growth is at 1.4%, down a tad…
17Aug
August 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
July was a very interesting month for economic data, with several of the series that we watch closely at Astor pointing in different directions. The Astor Economic Index®, our attempt to summarize these data points, ended the month in below-average growth territory and somewhat softer than the month before. The labor market has been a…
15Aug
Latest inflation news and the outlook for the Fed

Astor’s CIO, John Eckstein, and research associate, Nick Porter, deep dive into the latest inflation news and the outlook for the Fed.
9Aug
Gauging the U.S. Consumer
Employment has been resilient to inflation, rising rates and slowing growth trends, but for how much longer? Consumer financial situations have been impacted, reducing savings rates and increasing borrowing levels… Factors to help the economy regain its footing may not be helpful for the U.S. consumer in the near term… For context, let’s quickly walk…
8Aug
What does the latest payroll report tell us about inflation and the fed?

Astor’s CEO, Rob Stein, and CIO, John Eckstein, discuss the latest payroll report and what it tells us about inflation and the fed.
3Aug
Exchange Rate Drivers
Recent Dollar Trends The U.S. dollar is very much in the limelight of late, with the greenback relentlessly climbing against its developed market peers. The euro to dollar exchange rate (EUR/USD) is closely watched as a gauge of global sentiment and is the most heavily traded currency pair in the world. The euro recently touched…
25Jul
Fed preview and inflation outlook

Federal Reserve preview and inflation outlook with CIO, John Eckstein, and Research Associate, Nick Porter.