Charts & Chat - February 4, 2024
Eric Boyce • February 4, 2024
This week, CEO Eric Boyce discusses: 1. Short term interest rate estimates are changing every week...forecasts suggest rate decreases come later in 2024 2. Payroll strength, hourly earnings nose higher, productivity helping to keep unit labors cost growth low 3. manufacturing recession may be near an end... 4. construction spending in residential positive 5. near term PCE inflation trends near Fed target on annualized basis 6. home prices higher, mortgage rates moving lower 7. equity risk premium low - potential volatility ahead, yet equities best hedge for inflation 8. China data remains sluggish - government censoring bad data

By Eric Boyce
•
March 9, 2026
This week, CEO Eric Boyce, CFA discusses: 1. surprising weak job report; weaker healthcare employment, lower participation, manufacturing employment, productivity higher, unit labor costs in check 2. ISM services sector looking better - orders, employment, order backlog - although Fed's survey of conditions remains sluggish 3. metals prices higher - possible rotation from resources consuming areas of the market (tech) to resources producing (energy, materials) 4. energy price impact of Iran conflict - supply constraints from Strait of Hormuz, shipping prices, higher gasoline prices and low strategic oil reserves 5. potential oil price shocks on inflation and economic growth 6. yield curve shifts up last week, decreased probabilities of short term rate changes - conundrum of lower employment coupled with higher possible inflation

By Eric Boyce
•
March 2, 2026
This week, CEO Eric Boyce, CFA discusses: 1. immediate read throughs from the Iranian bombings 2. gold disconnect from commodities and 10 year yields 3. produce prices ahead of expectations 4. correlations between payrolls and economic growth 5. impacts of AI on job losses and productivity growth 6. CEO confidence high, individual and institutional investor sentiment weaker, although estimated stock price gains on tap for the next 20-60 days...likely due to increased concentration of stock ownership at the top of the wealth spectrum 7. Mag 7 companies coming back in line with more value-looking stock areas




