Market Overview - Stock market indexes have experienced a slight decline following a strong year, with the Nasdaq up +21% year to date and other major indexes also showing double-digit gains [1] - The Chicago Business Barometer reported a +36.3% print, the lowest since May 2024, indicating ongoing economic challenges [6] Economic Indicators - The U.S. economy is currently averaging +2.5% GDP growth, slightly above the +2.4% seen throughout 2024, following a robust +4.3% in Q3 2025 [2] - The CPI Inflation Rate has decreased by 30 basis points to +2.7%, but analysts caution that this data may be revised upward due to potential tariff impacts on trade goods [3] Employment Situation - Weekly Jobless Claims show benign numbers, but new hires are down approximately -100K compared to last year, indicating a potential labor market issue [4] - The retirement boom is cooling, but the workforce is not adequately replenished, and recent graduates face high unemployment rates [4] Housing Market - Pending Home Sales for November increased by +3.3%, marking a positive shift after previous months of decline, while Case-Shiller Home Prices rose by +1.1% in October, reversing prior losses [5] Federal Reserve Insights - The minutes from the last FOMC meeting reveal differing opinions on interest rate adjustments, with some advocating for a -50bps cut while others support maintaining the current rate [7] - The market anticipates a pause in rate changes at the next FOMC meeting in late January, with significant focus on upcoming inflation and employment reports [8]

Key Takeaways November Job Gains Grew 64K from October's -105KThe Unemployment Rate at 4.6% is Highest Since July 2021Pre-markets Slid into the Red on the News; Bond Yields RoseTuesday, December 16, 2025We are finally up to date on the Employment Situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) this morning. After skipping over October initially and pushing back the November numbers a week and a half, we finally see where we are: +64K now jobs were created last month overall, with an Unemploy ...

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