Interest Rates

The outlook for the U.S. fed funds rate has made a major shift in the last month alone. A month ago, investors were expecting the Federal Reserve to maintain or raise interest rates this year. Now, investors are betting on an interest rate cut in 2019, and White House advisor Larry Kudlow said...

The U.S. Federal Reserve joined the central banks of Europe, China and elsewhere last week in cutting 2019 economic growth projections. The Fed is now calling for 2.1-percent growth this year, down from its previous projection of 2.3 percent. Trump’s Targets In 2018, the U.S. registered 2.9-...

President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday tariffs on Chinese goods could remain in place for an extended period of time. The bearish comments came on the same day the FOMC minutes revealed a cautious Fed. Trade War Comments Trump told reporters that, even if a trade deal with China is reached...

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the word "patient" in some form eight times last week, but the tone of his speech is not far different from prior Fed bosses, according to CNBC's Michael Santoli. What Happened Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen said in December 2015...

As Fed officials intimated and economists predicted, the Federal Open Markets Committee unanimously voted Wednesday to maintain interest rates between 2.25 percent and 2.5 percent. Its statement assured constant rates for some time. What Happened After four rate raises in 2018, the Fed reiterated a...

For nearly a decade, ultra-low interest rates created a near risk-free borrowing environment to carry inventories. But the climate has changed. The federal funds rate, the rate that banks charge one another for overnight loans, sits at 2.5 percent, its highest level in 11 years. Most Fed-watchers...

Last year, U.S.-listed exchange traded fund took in $313 billion in new assets, short of 2017's record inflows, but still good for the second-best year on record. While the Federal Reserve boosted interest four times in 2018, three of the year's top 10 asset-gathering ETFs were bond funds....

Amid rising interest rates in the United States, rate-sensitive real estate stocks are languishing. The Vanguard MSCI U.S. REIT ETF (NYSE: VNQ), the largest exchange traded fund tracking the real estate sector, is down nearly 7 percent this year. International real estate investment trusts are not...

Investors thinking that 2018 was a wild year on the political stage may want to brace for an "even more intense" 2019, CNBC's Eamon Javers said. The Main Points The political landscape next year will be characterized by four factors, Javers said: Democrats gain power of the...

Investors clearly didn’t get what they wanted to hear from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped to their lowest levels of 2018 after the Fed raised interest rates for the fourth time and said investors can expect two...

(Wednesday Post-Fed) After putting the pedal to the floor on rate hikes this year, the Fed appears ready to ease off a bit in 2019. As the Fed raised rates Wednesday for the fourth time in as many quarters, it projected only two for next year. This comes amid a murky backdrop of tariff wars,...

The economic boom cycle remains in the late stages, but recent macro events now supports a bullish stance on Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), according to Bank of America. The Analyst Bank of America's Ross Gilardi upgraded Caterpillar from Neutral to Buy with a price target lifted from $140 to $...

Investors got what they were hoping for from the Federal Reserve Wednesday when Chairman Jerome Powell said interest rates are currently “just below” neutral. Powell’s statement comes after he was harshly criticized by President Donald Trump this week, who appointed Powell as...

Housing stocks continue to show weakness, with the homebuilder-tracking exchange traded fund SPDR S&P Homebuilders (NYSE: XHB) down around 25 percent since the start of 2018. Economic data released Monday was cause for more concern, showing that sentiment among homebuilders fell eight...

Fast casual chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) boasts an "enviable position" compared to its large-cap restaurant peers, according to Maxim Group. The Analyst Analyst Stephen Anderson upgraded Chipotle Mexican Grill from Hold to Buy with a price target lifted from $...