Category: News
78 posts categorized as "News"
10Nov
November 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
The Astor Economic Index® (AEI) continued its upward trend in October, ending at a level just around average economic growth. It has been an interesting journey for the AEI this year so far, with somewhat weak growth (driven mostly by soft PMIs) balanced out by a very hot labor market. Due in part to soft…
17Oct
October 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
Over the past few months, forecasts of an imminent recession have been pushed further and further away. Instead, consensus views vacillate between two scenarios: an economy “stuck” at higher growth and higher interest rates for the time being, and the much-heralded soft landing, with a slowly cooling labor market and inflation coming down over time….
9Oct
Get the Breakdown of the Latest Payroll Number with CEO Rob Stein and CIO John Eckstein
CIO John Eckstein and CEO Rob Stein discuss the current state of the economy, which they coin as ‘Goldilocks.’ In this episode 130, they delve into key economic indicators such as the employment situation report, inflation, an economy review, and payroll numbers. Tune in now! MAS-M-434759-2023-10-09
28Sep
Exploring The Best Opportunities in the Fixed-Income Market Right Now!
Astor’s CIO John Eckstein and Nick Tell, CEO of Armory Capital discuss the Fed’s outlook for the rest of the year and the fixed-income market as of today. LISTEN NOW! MAS-M-428351-2023-09-22
19Sep
What is the Fed Outlook with the Recent Economic Data?
Astor’s CIO John Eckstein and Portfolio Manager/Vice President – Research, Nick Porter provide insights on recent economic data and the Fed’s outlook. LISTEN NOW! MAS-M-424640-2023-09-12
15Sep
September 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy remained around potential in August, with softer labor market prints pointing to lower momentum in hiring against the backdrop of a secularly tight labor market. The Astor Economic Index® has ticked up slightly, but remains range bound in the average to below average economic growth. As we’ve said in the past,…
1Sep
INSIGHTS: Economic Crystall Balls – Comparing Four Recession Forecasting Tools
If I tell a stranger, you are an economist the first thing you notice is the glassy look in their eyes. The second thing that happens is that they ask you what will happen to the stock market. Economists don’t know! We can echo Pierpont Morgan and say, “I expect it to fluctuate”, but beyond…
20Aug
INSIGHTS: Interest Rates & Fed Minutes: August 2023
Fed minutes from last month’s meeting were released on Wednesday (8/16). After a summer of disinflation, many were hoping for a policy narrative congruent with the downward price movement we’ve seen in 2023: something akin to a final act. While there were a few dovish dissenters that were reluctant to raise the target rate, the…
11Aug
August 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
The U.S. economic picture has been essentially unchanged for the past few months, with a general trend towards disinflation, growth returning towards potential, and a secularly tight but slowing labor market. The Astor Economic Index® agrees with this narrative, ending the month of July at a level consistent with below potential output, driven mostly by…
8Aug
Payroll Pulse – Navigating the Economy
Astor Investment Management’s CEO, Rob Stein and CIO, John Eckstein discuss the payroll pulse and navigating the economy. Listen now! Episode 126 MAS-M-413594-2023-08-08
20Jul
Economic Kaleidoscope: Unveiling Super Insight into the Economy
Astor Investment Management’s, CIO John Eckstein along with John Davi, CEO Astoria Portfolio Advisors discuss the economic kaleidoscope! Listen now! Episode 125 MAS-M-403727-2023-07-17
20Jul
July 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
In our view, the U.S. economy is well on its way to cooling to its pre-pandemic potential, and a soft landing (with stable payrolls and slightly above average inflation) is more likely today than in the recent past. Refraining from over extrapolating any given data point will be important going forward – the economy, and…
20Jun
June 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy has continued its normalization over the past month, with key measures of output and labor moving towards the pre-pandemic trend. For the pessimistic, there are plenty of cracks in the data to support a narrative of underlying weakness, but the overall picture is one of robust demand and gradual cooling. The The…
11May
Employment Trends meets Federal Reserve Decisions
Astor’s CEO Rob Stein and CIO John Eckstein explore the interplay between employment trends and Federal Reserve decisions. MAS-M-380952-2023-05-08
4May
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Navigating Fed Policy, Robust Inflation, and the Economy
Astor’s CIO John Eckstein and Portfolio Manager/Vice President – Research, Nick Porter provide insights on the current economic landscape and the challenges the Fed is facing in controlling inflation. MAS-M-378863-2023-05-02
27Apr
Inflation & Duration: Navigating Rising Fixed Income Volatility
One can be forgiven for looking back on Fixed Income markets in the period between the Global Financial Crisis and the pandemic with something approaching fondness. The Great Recession and the period thereafter were dominated by concerns about the lower zero bound for rates and the need to stretch duration to get anything approaching reasonable…
19Apr
April 2023 Update on the U.S. Economy
The data for the month of March showed a slight cooling of the U.S. economy but wasn’t fundamentally view changing for the domestic near-term trajectory. The Astor Economic Index® stayed in the same range that it began in 2023, at a level consistent with below-average growth. One of the big puzzles of the current macroeconomic…
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.
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.
15Jul
July 2022 Update on the U.S. Economy
The U.S. economy is at an interesting crossroad: the labor market is showing continued strength despite weakening output, burgeoning inflation, and an increasingly hawkish Fed. The Astor Economic Index has taken the side of the naysayers, posting consecutive declines for the last 11 months. The index now lies somewhere in the below-average to weak range….