Slow and Steady: US Economy Navigates Controlled Deceleration
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 10:38 | 
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The U.S. economy is experiencing a controlled slowdown, with reduced hiring, consumer spending, and manufacturing activity, alongside a stagnant housing market.
Despite these challenges, the economy appears to be achieving a "soft landing," with inflation cooling without significant unemployment increases and continued, albeit slower, economic growth.
This controlled deceleration is viewed positively, with economists now seeing a lower risk of recession compared to a year ago. The upcoming economic figures are expected to show the slowest consecutive quarters of growth since 2022, reflecting this managed economic cooling.
Gold Breaks Election Year Norms Amid Heightened Global Tensions
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 10:35 | |
| Gold prices have reached record highs in 2024, defying typical behavior during U.S. presidential election years.
According to the World Gold Council, while elections historically have not directly impacted gold performance, the current political climate of increased polarization and elevated geopolitical risks may be encouraging investors to seek gold as a hedge against portfolio risk.
This unique environment has contributed to gold's strong performance, with prices up 16% year-to-date and reaching an all-time intraday high of $2,488.40 on July 17.
Invesco Strategist Predicts Multiple Reductions in 2024
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 10:30 | |
| Kristina Hooper, Invesco's chief global market strategist, believes multiple rate cuts could be possible in 2024.
Despite disappointing existing home sales data, Hooper remains optimistic about potential rate cuts in 2024, suggesting the possibility of two or even three cuts.
Hooper attributes the current tech sector rotation to anticipation of these rate cuts, which could prevent an economic downturn and lead to re-acceleration, benefiting cyclically sensitive stocks.
Inflation No Match for Coca-Cola's Global Demand in Q2 Earnings
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 10:24 | |
| Despite higher prices due to inflation, global demand for Coca-Cola's beverages remained robust, with unit case volume up 2% and pricing up 9%.
Coca-Cola reported strong second-quarter results, beating Wall Street estimates with a 3% revenue growth to $12.4 billion and a 7% increase in earnings per share to $0.84.
CEO James Quincey attributes the success to strong strategy execution and notes that inflation is normalizing in most markets. As a result, Coca-Cola has raised its full-year guidance, expecting organic revenue growth of 9% to 10%.
Silver vs Fiat: The Fall of Minimum Wage in Real Terms | Mike Maloney
Published: Wednesday, 24 July 2024 09:07 | |
| In this eye-opening video, Mike Maloney breaks down complex economic concepts to reveal that the minimum wage has effectively fallen by over 70% ...