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Federal Reserve leaves its key rate unchanged but keeps open possibility of a future hike

The Fed said in a statement after its latest meeting that it would keep its benchmark rate at about 5.4 percent, its highest level in 22 years.

The Federal Reserve isn’t sure where the economy going
Like the rest of us, the Fed is waiting to see what happens next, looking for clear evidence that inflation is in a sustained retreat before declaring inflation a thing of the past.

US economy accelerated to a strong 4.9% rate last quarter as consumers shrugged off Fed rate hikes
Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals.

Strongest US economic growth since 2021 puts Fed in tough spot

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell needs to weigh whether the rise in gross domestic product should prompt another increase in interest rates.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines
Fading consumer confidence will slow the economy. Will an election-year recession be next?
The question isn’t whether a consumer buying binge is over. It’s whether spending will slow gradually or stop abruptly.

Larry Edelman
Massachusetts saw modest job losses in September
Employers cut 2,800 workers last month after a solid gain in August. It was the first decline in the state's job market in a year.

Strong economic data ‘could warrant’ higher rates, Fed chair says
Jerome Powell, in remarks Thursday before the Economic Club of New York, emphasized that the Fed wants to wrestle inflation fully under control, but it also wants to avoid doing too much and unnecessarily hurting the economy.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines
Exxon works hard to keep America addicted to fossil fuels
The energy giant’s acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources borders on rejection of the scientific consensus that dramatic change is needed to ward off environmental disaster.

Latest Headlines in Economy

Inflation slowdown remains bumpy, September consumer price data shows

The consumer price index climbed 3.7 percent from a year earlier. That matched the August reading, and it was slightly higher than the 3.6 percent that economists had predicted.

Social Security benefits will increase by 3.2% in 2024 as inflation moderates

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, means the average recipient will receive more money every month beginning in January, the Social Security Administration said Thursday.

Wholesale inflation in US rises 2.2% in September, biggest year-over-year gain since April

On a month-to-month basis, producer prices rose 0.5 percent from August to September, down from 0.7 percent from July to August.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

Soaring interest rates are Public Enemy No. 1

Steep bond rates are inflicting losses on investors, rekindling concern of a recession, and threatening the federal government’s ability to fund itself.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

The job market caught fire in September. Will it burn the economy?

Employers added 336,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday, blowing past even the rosiest forecasts.

CHESTO MEANS BUSINESS

Will $1 billion tax bill make Mass. more competitive? Don’t count on it.

Some tax experts say the reforms will do little to spur companies to invest or expand here, or to stem the exodus of residents seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

Paying the price for a do-little Congress

The stopgap government funding deal to avoid a federal shutdown was an unexpected display of bipartisan sanity. But paralysis in Congress is bad for the economy.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

A couple of months investors would rather forget

Stocks are way down and bond yields are near a 16-year high. Here’s what’s behind Wall Street’s dour mood.