Consumer spending rises as inflation speeds up to three-year high

Traders in interest rate futures see 80% odds that the Federal Reserve will raise the federal funds rate by at least a quarter percentage point by the end of this year.

By Jim Tyson • June 25, 2026

Manufacturing grows at fastest rate since 2021 amid big job cuts: S&P

S&P Global flagged “an ongoing bifurcation of the economy, with sluggish service sector growth contrasting with an increasingly solid manufacturing expansion.”

By Jim Tyson • June 23, 2026

4 out of 5 companies can’t measure sustainability’s financial impact

“While science and target setting have moved forward, valuation tools and financial methodologies have lagged behind,” the KPMG report states.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • June 22, 2026

Stock, bond markets signal improving economic outlook: Conference Board

Despite recent gains in the Leading Economic Index, the six- and 12-month growth rates in the index suggest the economy is slowing, the Conference Board said.

By Jim Tyson • June 18, 2026

Fed ends bias toward more easing, holds benchmark rate steady

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh repeatedly said the central bank’s monetary policy committee will push down inflation toward its 2% goal.

By Jim Tyson • Updated June 17, 2026

Consumer sentiment rises from four-month slump as gas price falls

Consumers are “still seeing a lot of risks on the horizon,” according to Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan.  

By Jim Tyson • June 12, 2026

Inflation jumps 4.2%, spurred by war-induced surge in energy prices

Rising prices have begun to erode gains in real wages in recent years and weaken consumer purchasing power for all goods and services.

By Jim Tyson • June 10, 2026

Inflation anxiety erodes small business optimism, NFIB says

“Conditions for small businesses have not eased,” said Mark Valentino, head of business banking at Citizens, citing slowing sales.

By Jim Tyson • June 9, 2026

US GDP growth to slow from 2% this year to 1.8% in 2027: OECD forecast

“A sustained increase in oil and gas prices stemming from the evolving conflict in the Middle East would weigh more heavily on activity than currently assumed,” the OECD said.

By Jim Tyson • June 3, 2026

Job openings soar to two-year high as hiring falls, BLS says

The surge in job openings coincided with low levels of layoffs, quits and hiring, suggesting that the labor market, while firming somewhat, persists in a low-hire, low-fire mode.

By Jim Tyson • June 2, 2026

Manufacturing activity speeds up to fastest pace in four years: ISM

Steady manufacturing highlights how economic growth has so far overcome the shocks of high tariffs and the Iran war.

By Jim Tyson • June 1, 2026

Inflation rises, weakening consumer income, spending, saving rate

“Inflation is meaningfully above target, inflation expectations have been creeping higher and the public is highly sensitive to rising prices,” St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem said.

By Jim Tyson • May 28, 2026

Consumer confidence sags; most households cut spending due to inflation

Write-in survey responses from consumers this month leaned toward pessimism, the Conference Board said.

By Jim Tyson • May 26, 2026

Consumer sentiment falls to new low; cost of living ‘first-order’ worry

A sustained rise in long-run inflation expectations would likely increase the odds that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.

By Jim Tyson • May 22, 2026

Economic damage from Iran war ‘increasingly evident,’ S&P Global says

The economy during the second quarter will probably struggle to grow at an annualized rate of much more than 1%, according to S&P Global.

By Jim Tyson • May 21, 2026

Fed survey shows household view of US economy worsening

Before the war with Iran, 8% of adults said their family sometimes or often lacked enough food, the Federal Reserve said, citing survey results.

By Jim Tyson • May 18, 2026

AICPA seeks IRS relief on newly expanded excise tax

Without regulatory exceptions, some nonprofits could be forced to restructure their workforce or even close, the AICPA warned. 

By Danielle McLean • May 15, 2026

Retail sales slow to 0.5% growth as inflation erodes affordability

Wages rose at annual rate of just 3.6% in April, lagging inflation for the first time in three years and weakening household spending power.

By Jim Tyson • May 14, 2026

Producer prices jump to three-year high, spurred by war shortages

“I could envision a scenario in which some policy tightening is needed to ensure that inflation returns durably to 2%,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins said.

By Jim Tyson • May 13, 2026

Inflation surges 3.8%, propelled by gas price, outpacing wage gains

The war-induced rise in price pressures may prompt the Federal Reserve to forgo a reduction in borrowing costs this year, economists said.

By Jim Tyson • May 12, 2026

SAP ramps up push to bring AI agents to finance teams

The rollout spans FP&A, tax, and treasury, as SAP moves to an end-to-end approach for automating finance workflows.

By Alexei Alexis • May 12, 2026

Iran war inflation crimps profits, plans for investment, hiring: NABE

Half of the respondents to a National Association for Business Economics survey put the odds of a U.S. recession in the next 12 months at 26% or higher.

By Jim Tyson • May 11, 2026

Labor market adds 115,000 jobs, exceeds forecasts despite Iran war

“Many businesses are catching up on hiring and investment decisions delayed last year due to tariff uncertainty,” said Bill Adams, chief U.S. economist at Fifth Third Commercial Bank.

By Jim Tyson • May 8, 2026

Rebound in hiring, steady job openings highlight firming labor market

Bureau of Labor Statistics data affirmed the view of many economists that the job market is poised at an unusual “low-hire, low-fire” balance.

By Jim Tyson • May 5, 2026

Economy rebounds to 2% growth in Q1, spurred by AI spending

The boost to economic growth from outlays on artificial intelligence may not counteract the drag from protracted conflict in the Middle East, according to economists.

By Jim Tyson • April 30, 2026