Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of August 9th, 2015

Clarksville, TN – The economic data were mixed, but generally consistent with moderately strong growth. The ISM surveys went in opposite directions – the manufacturing index was softer than anticipated, while the non-manufacturing index exceeded expectations. Unit auto sales rebounded. The July Employment Report was about as expected.

Nonfarm payrolls rose by 215,000, with a net upward revision to May and June of +14,000. That put the three-month average at 235,000 (a 2.82 million annual rate). The unemployment rate held steady at 5.3%.

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of July 20th, 2014

Clarksville, TN – The retail sales and industrial production reports had similar stories – gains in June were disappointing relative to expectations, but figures for April and May were revised higher. These data (which are subject to revision) are consistent with a sharp rebound in economic activity in 2Q14 (following weather–related weakness in 1Q14), but also suggest some loss of momentum heading towards 3Q14.

The Producer Price Index and import price reports showed no appreciable pipeline pressures for inflation.

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of July 15th, 2014

Clarksville, TN – Next week, the economic calendar picks back up. Retail sales are likely to be the highlight, boosted by stronger vehicle sales in June. Ex-autos, sales results for April and May were disappointing – so we’ll be on the lookout for a rebound (or possibly some revision to the previous figures).

Industrial production data and residential construction figures have some potential to move the markets – they should point to stronger growth in 2Q14.

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of July 8th, 2014

Clarksville, TN – The June Employment Report was stronger than expected. Nonfarm payrolls rose by 288,000 (median forecast: +215,000), with widespread gains across sectors (April and May were revised a net 29,000 higher).

The unemployment fell to 6.1% (from 6.3%), although the employment/population ratio edged up only slightly (to 59.0%, vs. 58.9% in May and 58.7% a year ago – still suggesting plenty of slack in the labor market). Average hourly earnings rose 0.2% in June, up 2.0% y/y (the CPI rose 2.1% over the 12 months ending in May).

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of June 29th, 2014

Clarksville, TN – GDP growth was revised to a -2.9% annual rate in the third estimate for 1Q14 (vs. -1.0% in the 2nd estimate and +0.1% in the advance estimate).

Prior estimates showed that a slower rate of inventory accumulation and a wider trade deficit subtracted considerably from overall growth – the third estimate showed a somewhat larger subtraction of 3.2 percentage points from the headline GDP growth figure (Domestic Final Sales, GDP less net exports and the change in inventories, rose at a 0.3% annual rate).

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of June 22nd, 2014

Clarksville, TN – As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee left short-term interest rates unchanged, reaffirmed its forward guidance on the federal funds target rate, and trimmed another $10 billion from the monthly pace of asset purchases (to $35 billion starting in July). In the Summary of Economic Projections, Fed officials lowered their projections for 2014 GDP growth.

However, that was due entirely to the reported decline in 1Q14 GDP. Implicitly, Fed officials are expecting a 3.1% to 3.4% average pace of GDP growth in the final three quarters of 2014. The forecasts ranges for GDP growth in 2015 and 2016 were the same as the ones made in March.

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Clarksville Weekly Market Snapshot from Frazier Allen for the week of June 18th, 2014

Clarksville, TN – Developments in Iraq sent oil prices higher and undermined stock market sentiment. Note that oil price shocks are viewed as a restrain on economic growth rather than a catalyst for a higher underlying trend in inflation (as opposed to the 1970s, when they quickly fed through to wage inflation).

Iraq is one more concern to be added to the list of worries for the second half of the year. The stock market often climbs “a wall of worry,” but sometimes the wall wins.

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