Economic indicators

The American consumer is "in good shape" and spending more this month than a year earlier, even amid inflation, jittery markets and international tensions, according to Bank of America Chief Executive Brian Moynihan.

By declining to hear from the financial services industry as it reviews existing capital rules, the Federal Reserve risks making "consequential errors."

JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said "serious" headwinds are likely to push the U.S. and global economies into recession by the middle of next year.

The bottom 50% of U.S. households, generally those with a net worth of $166,000 or less before the pandemic, are in the strongest relative financial position in a generation, according to the Realtime Inequality tracker.

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said the central bank will remain aggressive in fighting inflation despite promising economic data.

Wealthier Americans cut their credit card spending for a third straight month in July as inflation and market volatility weighed on sentiment, according to a study by Bank of America Institute. 

An account of the debate at the Federal Reserve's July policy meeting, set to be published after two weeks of whiplash on Wall Street, will probably offer clues as to what would push the central bank to go big with tightening yet again in September.

An alternative metric might have led the Federal Reserve to take earlier action against rising prices.

The three-month London interbank offered rate for dollars climbed to a nearly 14-year high as traders brace for steady interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, backing away from speculation the central bank will ease up as the economy shows signs of cooling. 

The American Bankers Association’s credit conditions index fell sharply, as economists foresaw dampening loan demand. The weaker outlook lines up with major bank CEOs’ increased worries over a possible recession.

An American Bankers Association panel of experts predicted much slower economic growth, but agreed that the U.S. economy will avoid a recession over the next couple of years.

After lying low for a couple of years, wealthy consumers are poised to unleash nearly a quarter-trillion dollars in a card-spending binge that only a COVID-19 resurgence could derail, according to Visa's chief economist, Wayne Best.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects farm profits to drop by 8% this year due to multiple factors, creating credit quality questions for ag banks.

Banks report solid commercial and industrial loan demand, but are increasingly concerned about how soaring inflation and the specter of recession will affect their clients.

In “The Journey of Humanity,” the economics professor Oded Galor explores the complex question of why some countries have flourished while others continue to struggle.

In a recent survey, just over half of community bankers expressed concern that the central bank will harm the U.S. economy by raising rates too fast in its quest to contain inflation.

Although small banks and credit unions are enjoying healthier loan portfolios, they are also bracing for potential setbacks due to higher interest rates and inflation.

Business inventories, a key indicator of potential loan demand, are expected to swing upward this year as supply chain bottlenecks finally crack open, according to a panel of economists.

With prices increasing faster than they have since the 1990s, the Federal Reserve appears poised to tighten monetary policy. Top industry executives are worried about the chances of either a recession or runaway inflation, depending on whether the central bank moves too quickly or too slowly.

“The deceleration in economic activity was largely attributable to a pullback in dining out, travel, and tourism in most Districts, reflecting safety concerns due to the rise of the Delta variant,” the central bank said in its Beige Book survey.