Skyline Advisors
  • Services
  • Team
  • Transactions
  • Industries
  • Reports
  • News
    • Capital Markets
    • Firm News
    • Resources
  • Contact
    • Newsletter
  • us

Partners for Strategic Transactions

U.S. Economy Shows Signs of Stagnation in February Reports

3/20/2019

 
The U.S. economy has continued to show signs of slowdown in February, as recessionary fears for 2020 continue to mount. Labor market growth hit a sudden slump as only 20,000 jobs were added in February. Analysts and economists suggest that such a low figure is mostly an anomaly but that job growth should continue to slow headed into 2019. The unemployment rate fell by 0.2% while non-farm wages grew 3.4% for the year ended February, a strong reading and prompting hope for higher consumer demand in the coming months. It was also reported that worker productivity reached record highs in the fourth quarter of 2018, lending more credence to higher output forecasts for this year.
Picture
Sources: Commerce Department, Department of Labor, Federal Reserve, National Association of Home Builders, major automaker reports
Retail sales in January stayed at a consistent level from a month before in December, rising only 0.2%. However, excluding volatile categories such as gas and food services, the increase jumps to 1.1% after being down 2.3% in December. December’s statistics were also downwardly revised, potentially having an impact on the government’s fourth-quarter output estimates. Big ticket purchases such as housing and autos showed mixed results in the first two months of the year. Auto sales in February appear to be generally lower compared to late 2018 results. Reports released in February show home sales for both new and existing units grew in December. However, many believe that the increase is only a residual effect of increased mortgage applications in the Fall. Mortgage applications have been increasing year-over-year during the last four weeks heading into the busy Spring buying season.

Major stock indices continued to rebound in February, with the Nasdaq closing up 3.4% and the S&P 500 up 3.0%. 

The highlights from our weekly economic updates during February 2019 included:
  • Week 1: Job Market Expands for Yet Another Month in January
  • Week 2: U.S. Soybean Exports to China Continue Slide to Just 30% of August Levels
  • Week 3: Retail Sales Fell at Sharpest Rate Since September 2009
  • Week 4: Existing Home Sales Fall for Third Straight Month


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    May 2023
    May 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017

    Categories

    All
    Auto Sales
    Bankruptcies
    Capital Markets
    Confidence
    Corporate Profits
    Debt
    Economy
    GDP
    Holiday
    Housing
    Industrial Production
    Inflation
    Initial Public Offerings
    Interest Rates
    Inventories
    Jobs
    Manufacturing
    Mergers And Acquisitions
    Middle Market
    Prices
    Private Equity
    Productivity
    Retail Spending
    Rural Economy
    Small Business
    Stock Market
    Taxes
    Trade
    Venture Capital
    Wages

    RSS Feed

Picture
​Services involving securities are offered through M&A Securities Group, Inc.4151 N Mulberry Drive Suite 252, Kansas City, MO, 64116  (“MAS") . Services involving real estate brokerage are offered through Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate ("BHHS"). Skyline Advisors, MAS, and BHHS are separate entities. 
​

COPYRIGHT 2025. Skyline Advisors, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Virtual Data Room
Company   Services   Team   Transactions   Industries   Reports   News
Photo from inkknife_2000 (8.5 million views +)
  • Services
  • Team
  • Transactions
  • Industries
  • Reports
  • News
    • Capital Markets
    • Firm News
    • Resources
  • Contact
    • Newsletter
  • us