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Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to the advance estimate released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That is a meaningful step down from the 2.1 percent pace in the first quarter, and it comes paired with a

June’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) release provided a welcome sign of relief, as headline inflation declined to 3.7% year over year, down from 4.1% in May. On a monthly basis, prices fell 0.1%, reversing the prior month’s increase and reflecting a meaningful short-term cooling in inflation. Much of the improvement

America’s largest companies are quietly reversing a year of hiring restraint. Railroad giant CSX, Google parent Alphabet, government contractor Booz Allen, and staffing firm Robert Half have all told investors in recent days that they plan to expand headcount, according to a Wall Street Journal report published this week. Booz

What Has Happened Since the Agreement Five weeks ago, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. The 14-point agreement reopened the Strait of Hormuz, eased certain financial restrictions on Iran, and set a 60-day window to negotiate the harder issues, including Iran’s nuclear

Every time the Federal Reserve signals it is raising the Federal Funds rate, a familiar headline shows up: “Higher interest rates threaten stocks.” It sounds intuitive. It is also often an oversimplification. History shows the relationship between interest rates and stocks is far less mechanical than the conventional wisdom suggests

Privately owned housing starts rose 19.0% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.427 million, according to the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the strongest reading since March and 3.5% above the June 2025 pace. On its face this is a dramatic turn.

The University of Michigan’s preliminary July reading came in at 54.4, up from a final June figure of 49.5 and well above the 51.0 consensus, the highest level since February and the second consecutive monthly gain following May’s 44.8, an all time low in a series that runs back to

Please find the next blog in our monthly series that provides a snapshot of the markets and the state of the economy. Economic Overview Market Returns Asset Class Valuations – Rebalancing Rationale Key Risk Factors We Are Watching Disclaimers: The views expressed herein are those of Asset Consulting Group (ACG).

Wednesday delivered one of the fuller Fed communication days of the year, and the message from the central bank was anything but unified. New York Fed President John Williams told business leaders that he sees encouraging signs inflation has peaked, projecting the headline rate falls to around 3.25 percent by

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 2.1 points in June to 97.4, closing in on its 52 year average of 98.0 and blowing past the 95.7 consensus forecast economists had penciled in. That is a sharp reversal from May’s reading of 95.3, which had marked the lowest level for