Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI)

The St. Louis Fed’s Financial Stress Index (STLFSI4) is one index that is supposed to measure stress in the financial system. Its reading as of the August 3, 2023 update (reflecting data through July 28, 2023) is -.7956: source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index [STLFSI4], retrieved from FRED, …

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Another Recession Probability Indicator – Through Q1 2023

Each month I have been highlighting various estimates of U.S. recession probabilities.  The latest update was that of July 10, 2023, titled “Recession Probability Models – July 2023.” While I don’t agree with the methodologies employed or the probabilities of impending economic weakness as depicted by these and other estimates, I do believe that the …

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Updates Of Economic Indicators July 2023

The following is an update of various indicators that are supposed to predict and/or depict economic activity. These indicators have been discussed in previous blog posts: The July 2023 Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) updated as of July 24, 2023: The CFNAI, with a current reading of -.32: source:  Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago Fed National …

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Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI)

The St. Louis Fed’s Financial Stress Index (STLFSI4) is one index that is supposed to measure stress in the financial system. Its reading as of the July 20, 2023 update (reflecting data through July 14, 2023) is -.6724: source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index [STLFSI4], retrieved from FRED, …

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The July 2023 Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Survey

The July 2023 Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Survey was published on July 15, 2023. The headline is “Economists Are Cutting Back Their Recession Expectations.” I found numerous items to be notable – although I don’t necessarily agree with them – both within the article and in the forecasts section. An excerpt: In the latest WSJ …

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The CFO Survey Second Quarter 2023 – Notable Excerpts

On June 28, 2023 The CFO Survey (formerly called the “Duke/CFO Global Business Outlook”) was released.  It contains a variety of statistics regarding how CFOs view business and economic conditions. In the CFO Survey press release, I found the following to be the most notable excerpts – although I don’t necessarily agree with them: Growth expectations for …

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