Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

Some manufacturers worry about a return of inflation and high rates

Dec 2, 2024
High interest rates have held back investment in production. They've eased, but firms are wary of the effects of potential tariffs and tax cuts.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. How the Fed responds to inflation influences corporate and consumer decisions.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Homebuilders remain confident despite uncertainty

Nov 19, 2024
The National Association of Homebuilders reported its third straight month of improvement in its homebuilder confidence index, even though permits for new housing construction were down nearly 8% year over year.
Homebuilder Justin Wood has saved money on loans when the Fed cut interest rates. But he's also had to spend on incentives for clients wary of rising mortgage rates.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

What a second Trump term would mean for the central bank

Nov 8, 2024
On Thursday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell wouldn’t rule out an interest rate hike next year, though that's not the plan at this point.
At Thursday's press conference, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell wouldn’t rule out an interest rate hike next year.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Farmers were feeling the blues, but sentiment shifted in October

Nov 6, 2024
The Federal Reserve's easing of interest rates may be one factor that turned the mood around. Another could be the election.
A drop in interest rates is good news for farmers. Many rely on loans for their planting-season needs and can't pay them off until crops are sold.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Fed's about to get its preferred measure of inflation. Here's what it could mean.

Oct 30, 2024
The PCE index could come in at the central bank's much-vaunted target of 2% inflation.
The PCE may have dipped to or close to the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal, thanks in part to falling gas prices.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Look for predictability in the Fed's interest rate decision next week

Oct 29, 2024
While there's a lot of new economic data coming out between now and then, it will probably be relevant for later Fed meetings.
The Fed under Chair Jerome Powell, above, has a pattern: Set expectations and follow through.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

As focus shifts from inflation to employment, the Fed’s job is still tricky 

Oct 23, 2024
The September rate cut raised hopes for a sturdy labor market into next year and beyond. The effect on jobs, though, may take time.
The labor market has shown strength and fragility this year. Potentially, lower interest rates could be good for business investment and hiring.
Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

Why the European Central Bank is expected to cut rates, again

Oct 16, 2024
Inflation in the European Union has cooled sharply, but the economy could still use a boost.
The ECB is working to steady the EU's trading economy.
Kirill Kudryavstev/AFP via Getty Images