Economy

Fresh waves of Covid-19 cases in major manufacturing hubs in Asia could hit global supply chains — and that could cause inflation to rise quicker in the U.S., a business consultant said Wednesday. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are among Asian manufacturing economies that have reported a renewed Covid outbreak in the last few

The procession of Americans heading to the unemployment line fell last week, with jobless claims totaling a fresh pandemic-era low of 444,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economist surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting 452,000 new claims as the jobs picture improves thanks to an accelerated economic reopening across the country. The total represented

Lisa Cook, associate professor at the Michigan State University, arrives for dinner during the Jackson Hole economic symposium, sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, in Moran, Wyoming, on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee sees economist Lisa Cook,

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Sales of existing homes dropped 2.7% in April from March to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 5.85 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. It was the third straight month of declines, the group said. Sales were 33.9% higher than April of 2020, but that

A woman wearing a face mask rides a scooter past the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 27, 2021. Lie Jie | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is moving forward in its efforts to develop its own digital currency, announcing Thursday that it will release a

Federal Reserve officials at their April meeting said a strong pickup in economic activity would warrant discussions about tightening monetary policy, according to minutes from the session released Wednesday. “A number of participants suggested that if the economy continued to make rapid progress toward the Committee’s goals, it might be appropriate at some point in

A real estate agent stands in the doorway as Giovani and Nicole Quiroz of Brooklyn, New York visit an open house in West Hempstead, New York on April 18, 2021. Raychel Brightman | Newsday LLC | Newsday | Getty Images Sky-high home prices mean demand for ever bigger mortgages, but those prices may also be

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen speaks during a daily news briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House May 7, in Washington, DC. Alex Wong | Getty Images Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on Tuesday for business leaders to pay higher taxes to support government stimulus spending, and backed stronger

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic told CNBC on Monday that he’s comfortable with the central bank’s ultra-loose policy even as inflation gains steam in the U.S. economy. “We are still 8 million jobs short of where we were pre-pandemic,” Bostic told CNBC’s Steve Liesman during a “Squawk Box” interview. “Until we make substantial progress

Contractors work on single-family homes under construction in the Cadence Park development of The Great Park Neighborhoods in Irvine, California, on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Bing Guan | Bloomberg | Getty Images Strong buyer demand is keeping homebuilders confident, but the risk of rising construction material costs continues to weigh on housing affordability.  Builder sentiment

Akapong Osotsil / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images Consumer debt edged higher during the first three months of 2021, due primarily to a jump in mortgages and auto loans, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday. Total household debt balances rose by $85 billion in the first quarter, a 0.6% increase that brought the total level

Wall Street pioneer Thomas Peterffy told CNBC on Wednesday he was concerned about the prospect of damaging inflation in the U.S., leaning on his personal experiences as a youth in Hungary after World War II. The billionaire Interactive Brokers founder and chairman made his comments on “Squawk Box” shortly after April’s hotter-than-expected Consumer Price Index

A woman wears a face mask while shopping for a baby shower gift during the Covid-19 pandemic, at Madison’s Niche boutique in Huntington, New York on April 21, 2021. Alejandra Villa Loarca | Newsday | Getty Images There is probably less than meets the eye from the startling inflation pop in April, as goods impacted

A worker on an auto assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee. Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images The concentration of price pressures in a handful of categories means markets shouldn’t yet be worrying about inflation after Wednesday’s U.S. surprise, economists have told CNBC. The U.S. Consumer Price Index for April rose 4.2% from the same period last year, its

Workers assemble a three-wheeled electric fun utility vehicle (FUV) at the Arcimoto manufacturing facility in Eugene, Oregon, April 19, 2021. Alisha Jucevic | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. producer prices data for April is set to be released at 8:30 am ET Thursday. The Producer Prices Index comes into focus after Wednesday’s consumer prices report

A Walmart worker organizes products for Christmas season at a Walmart store in Teterboro, New Jersey. Eduardo Munoz | Reuters A little inflation might not be such a bad thing, after all. With the Labor Department’s inflation report Wednesday spooking stock markets, and traders blaming rising prices for a broad sell-off in technology shares, attention

Traders look on as a screen shows Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s news conference after the U.S. Federal Reserve interest rates announcement on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., July 31, 2019. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Red-hot consumer inflation data for April spooked markets and raised concerns that

A help wanted sign is displayed in the window of a Brooklyn business in New York. Spencer Platt | Getty Images Job openings popped to a record high in March as employers struggled to find workers to fill those positions, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. Even as help wanted jumped from February by 597,000, or