6 min readAs the US economy emerges from the severe economic dislocation of the pandemic, early indications point to a strong recovery in 2021, with GDP growth poised to exceed 6% based on annualized first quarter data. Expansionary fiscal and monetary policy, healthier household balance sheets, and pent-up consumer demand are likely to significantly boost economic activity….
5 min readInflation, it’s all the rage in financial market commentary of late. After being dormant for the better part of a decade, the CPI came roaring back to life in April, with the headline index posting a 4.2% year-over-year rise and the core index posting a 3% increase. This has resulted in a lot of talk…
2 min readThe Federal Reserve met this week to review its current stance on monetary policy and updated its Summary of Economic Projections for Q1 2021. While the Fed was encouraged by the addition of 379,000 jobs to non-farm payrolls in February and a decline in the unemployment rate to 6.2%, they also acknowledged that “the path…
2 min readThe minutes from the FOMC’s January meeting were released yesterday, revealing that the Fed believes that keeping interest rates low and continuing asset purchases are necessary to support the economic recovery. The Fed indicated that December’s $900B stimulus package, the prospect of a new round of stimulus and the continued distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines…
2 min readThe Federal Reserve held its first meeting of the new year and affirmed their commitment to a near zero interest rate environment, saying “The pace of the recovery in economic activity and employment has moderated in recent months, with weakness concentrated in the sectors most adversely affected by the pandemic.” The Fed indicated that they…
2 min readAfter experiencing the most tumultuous year on record, the major stock indices finished 2020 in a strong manner. On the last day of December, the S&P 500 logged its 14th record close of 2020 while the Nasdaq just missed its 56th record close by approximately 10 points. For the year, the DJIA rose 7.2%, the…
2 min readThe Federal Reserve held its last meeting of the year this week and to no one’s surprise, it left the overnight lending rate unchanged at the 0.00% to 0.25% range. As it wraps up a tumultuous 2020 and looks forward to the new year, the Fed is focused on supporting “the U.S. economy in this…
1 min readIn this webinar, Stefan Spazek, along with a panel of lenders review the ups and downs of 2020 while also looking ahead to what the coming year may bring. Watch a recording (12/8/2020) of Capital Advisors Group’s webinar, Venture Debt – A 2020 Retrospective And A Look Ahead. Hosted by Stefan Spazek, EVP – Director…
2 min readOutgoing Treasury Secretary Mnuchin announced in late November that he would allow certain Federal Reserve relief programs to expire at the end of the year. Federal Reserve officials had publicly urged Mnuchin to extend all emergency programs but ultimately conceded and will close several of the facilities this month. The Fed also announced on Monday…
2 min readVaccine Progress Earlier this month, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their COVID-19 vaccine proved to be more than 90% effective in early trial results, while Moderna reported that its version is 95% effective in protecting patients from the virus. Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke with Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and European Central Bank…