Inflation

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In the closing months of 2020 as the horrid lockdowns related to the coronavirus began to ease, the American people started to live again. With restaurants in some cities re-opened for – gasp – actual dining, husbands and wives even started going out to dinner again. Amid this substantial exhale, the cost of babyitting services soared. Not only could babysitters charge more per hour, they could demand more perks while on the job. Was this indicative of “inflation”? Not remotely. If parents are paying more for babysitters, then logic dictates they have fewer dollars for nights out at dinner. Economics is about trade-offs, though you wouldn’t know it from reading the newspapers. A recent Wall Street Journal headline went like this: “Pay Gains Shrink In New Sign Of Easing Inflation.” The assumption made in the headline and in the front-page article’s body was that more money in people’s pockets as it were had been … [Read more...] about Opposite What Economists Believe, Rising Wages Signal Easing Inflation

US stock bulls are taking heart from a range of market signals pointing to an upbeat year for Wall Street, as equities sit on impressive gains despite worries that the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy tightening may plunge the economy into a recession. Among these are equities’ positive January performance, a "golden cross" chart pattern on the S&P 500 and more stocks making new highs rather than new lows. Such signals are far from the only indicators market participants use to make investment decisions, and they are not foolproof. Weak outlooks for corporate heavyweights such as Amazon and Microsoft and a blowout employment number that heightened expectations for Fed hawkishness injected a fresh note of uncertainty into markets on Friday, though the S&P 500 remains up 7.7 percent year-to-date. However, steady improvements in gauges of momentum and sentiment in recent weeks reinforced the view among some investors that asset prices may be heading for a more benign … [Read more...] about Wall Street Week Ahead | Signals of market regaining momentum attract investors

The Federal Open Market Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to determine the direction of U.S. monetary policy. What will the Fed do? Since March 2022, it has already raised the fed funds rate by 4.25 percentage points, the largest one-year increase in four decades. When it comes to speculation over the direction of the fed funds rate, the financial press is filled with musings from Fed watchers and assorted wags. That is just background “noise.” (RELATED: EJ ANTONI: Wokeness Is Slowly Hollowing Out The Fed) There is only one objective measure of where the fed funds rate is heading — in other words, the “signal,” rather than the “noise.” It’s the Chicago Mercantile Exchange FedWatch Tool , which translates the prices of trades on fed funds futures contracts (read: market prices) to put a probability on where the fed funds rate will go. As Friedrich Hayek taught us long ago in his classic 1945 article, “ The Use of Knowledge in Society ,” an article that landed him … [Read more...] about STEVE HANKE And CALEB HOFMANN: The Fed Is Asleep At The Wheel And Americans Are Feeling The Consequences

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Bitcoin BTC , ethereum and other major cryptocurrencies have stormed into 2023, going through a $250 crypto market earthquake . Subscribe now to Forbes' CryptoAsset & Blockchain Advisor and successfully navigate the latest bitcoin and crypto market crash The bitcoin price has climbed to levels not seen since last August despite the crypto industry bracing for game-changing new regulations . Now, Cathie Wood's Ark Investment Management, a major backer of crypto exchange Coinbase, has doubled down on its huge bitcoin price prediction —with Wood declaring her soaring fund is "the new Nasdaq." It's in a brutal bear market that you need up-to-date information the most! Sign up now for the free CryptoCodex — A daily newsletter for traders, investors and the crypto-curious that will keep you ahead of the market MORE FROM FORBES Fed Delivers Devastating 'Surprise' … [Read more...] about ‘The New Nasdaq’—Coinbase Backer Issues Huge 4,200% Price Prediction After 2023 Bitcoin, Ethereum And Crypto Boom

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Long considered an afterthought by travelers, hotel restaurants are making a comeback in a big way. Overall, hotels have seen an increase in the percentage of total revenues from venues, which means more revenues are coming from restaurants/other venues, according to STR , a data solutions company that helps clients to strategize and compete within their markets. Inflation does have an impact on these numbers. Perhaps inspired in part by the HBO series White Lotus, where guests set up camp at the resort’s restaurant throughout their entire Italian vacation, hotel restaurants are showcasing the allure of hotel dining thanks to innovative cuisine, stunning design and dreamy ambiances. These hotel restaurants, which opened over the last year, are drawing rave review from patrons and are doing their part for the resurgence of the hotel restaurant. UMI Rooftop + Tokyo Kitchen at Thompson Playa del Carmen, Playa del … [Read more...] about The Resurgence Of The Hotel Restaurant