Trade Deficit
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Trade Deficit Comes in Record High for March
ZACKS· 2025-05-06 16:20
Economic Overview - The U.S. trade deficit reached a record low of -$140.5 billion in March, surpassing the previous estimate of -$137.6 billion and the revised prior record of -$123.2 billion [2] - The trade deficit metric has been consistently reported since 1992, indicating ongoing trade challenges [3] Company Earnings Reports - DoorDash (DASH) reported Q1 earnings of 44 cents per share, beating estimates by 10%, but revenues of $3.03 billion fell short by nearly 2%. The company announced acquisitions of Deliveroo for $3.9 billion and SevenRooms for $1.2 billion [3] - Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) reported earnings of 70 cents per share, slightly beating estimates but significantly lower than the $1.46 per share from the previous year. Revenues of $20.18 billion missed expectations by 2.5% [4] - Marriott International (MAR) reported Q1 earnings of $2.32 per share, exceeding estimates by 5 cents, with revenues of $6.26 billion, which was slightly below expectations but an increase from $5.98 billion a year ago [5] Market Expectations - The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is underway, with no expected changes to the Fed funds rate, which has been stable in the 4.25-4.50% range since December [6][7] - The U.S. dollar has shown some instability due to new global trade realities, but bond yields remain stable, indicating no immediate pressure for rate changes [8] Upcoming Earnings Reports - Upcoming earnings reports include Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Electronic Arts (EA), and Wynn Resorts (WYNN), with The Walt Disney Company (DIS) reporting the following day [9]
Trade Deficit Widened in January
ZACKS· 2025-03-06 16:45
Economic Overview - Pre-market indexes are showing declines, with the Dow down 414 points, S&P 500 down 71, Nasdaq down 326, and Russell 2000 down 32 points [1] - The European Central Bank (ECB) has lowered interest rates by 25 basis points, with the Deposit Facility now at +2.50%, indicating confidence in controlling inflation [2] - German bund yields increased by 30 basis points to around +2.85%, the highest since 1990, reflecting significant economic behavior in the EU [3] Labor Market Insights - Initial Jobless Claims for last week were reported at 221K, lower than the anticipated 235K, and down from the previous week's 242K, suggesting stability in the labor market [4] - Continuing Claims rose to 1.897 million, approaching the psychological level of 1.9 million, which may indicate concerns about the robustness of the U.S. labor market [5] Productivity and Costs - Q4 Productivity was revised up by 30 basis points to +1.5%, marking the ninth consecutive upward movement in U.S. productivity [6] - Unit Labor Costs were revised down to +2.2%, lower than previous quarters, indicating a favorable trend of increased productivity alongside reduced costs [6] Trade Balance - The U.S. Trade Deficit reached a record low of -$131.4 billion, exceeding expectations of -$128.7 billion, influenced by anticipated trade tariff changes [7] Market Expectations - Following positive earnings reports from Macy's, Burlington Stores, and Cracker Barrel, upcoming earnings from Broadcom and Costco are anticipated, along with data on Wholesale Inventories for January [8]
PCE Brings Good News to the Stock Market
ZACKS· 2025-02-28 16:30
Economic Indicators - The January Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report shows Personal Income increased by 0.9%, significantly exceeding expectations of 0.4% [2] - Personal Spending decreased by 0.2%, contrasting with an expected increase of 0.1% and a prior month's increase of 0.7% [2] - Real Spending also declined by 0.5%, marking the lowest spending figures in nearly four years, while the Savings Rate rose from 3.5% to 4.6% [3] Inflation Metrics - The PCE Index showed a month-over-month increase of 0.3% for both headline and core metrics, aligning with expectations [4] - Year-over-year, the headline PCE decreased to 2.5% from 2.6%, and core PCE decreased to 2.6% from an upwardly revised 2.9% [4] - These figures are viewed positively as they indicate a reduction in inflation pressures, which is favorable for the Federal Reserve [5] Trade and Inventory Data - The January Trade Deficit reached an all-time low of -$153 billion, down from -$122 billion the previous month, indicating significant trade imbalances [6] - Advanced Retail Inventories showed a slight improvement, decreasing by 0.1%, while Advanced Wholesale Inventories increased by 0.7% [7] Bond Market Trends - Bond yields have decreased, with the 10-year yield dropping from 4.77% to 4.26%, and the 2-year yield falling from 4.40% to 4.06% [9] - This decline in yields suggests a cautious outlook on economic growth and may indicate potential for future interest rate cuts [10]