Week Ahead: CPI, PPI, and the Fed Decision That Could Move Every Market
Matt Hardy
This week's PPI and CPI data could decide the Fed's September rate hike, with oil near $100 and yields at multi-year highs adding pressure. Here's the full data calendar and…
Matt Hardy
PPI Today, CPI Tomorrow: The Last Inflation Data Before the Fed’s Big Decision
PPI lands today and CPI tomorrow — the last inflation data before the Fed's September 16 decision, with markets pricing a genuine coin-flip on a rate hike. Here's what's at…
A $100 Billion Buyback: Capital Return vs. AI Capex in Big Tech’s Biggest Debate
A $100 billion buyback authorization highlights a real strategic split in Big Tech: return cash to shareholders, or plow it into AI infrastructure like rivals are doing. Here's the full…
This Week in Markets: Stocks Slide as Oil Surges Toward $100, All Eyes on CPI and the Fed
Stocks slid this week as oil neared $100 a barrel, US-Canada trade tensions escalated, and a hot jobs report raised Fed rate-hike odds ahead of critical CPI and PPI data.…
Mortgage Rates Hit a One-Year High: What’s Pushing 30-Year Rates Toward 7%
Mortgage rates hit a one-year high in September 2026, with the 30-year fixed at 6.71%-6.89% depending on the tracker. Here's what's driving the increase and whether rates could reach 7%.
S&P 500 Buybacks Set to Hit a Record: What the Excise Tax Debate Could Mean
S&P 500 buybacks are on pace for a record year, with the 1% excise tax still a minor cost. Here's the real data on the buyback boom, the tax-hike debate,…
US Retail Sales Fell 0.6% in July: A Cooling Consumer or a Prime Day Timing Quirk?
US retail sales fell 0.6% in July 2026, but a Prime Day calendar shift explains much of the drop — sales were still up 5% year-over-year. Here's what the data…
Core PCE Stuck at 3.3%: What the Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauge Really Shows
Core PCE held at 3.3% in July, stuck above the Fed's target for a second straight month. Here's what the Fed's preferred inflation gauge shows, why it's plateaued, and what…
Mortgage Rates Just Hit 6.71%—What Does That Mean for Home Buyers in 2026?
Summary:The average U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 6.71% on September 3, 2026, up from 6.66% a week earlier. For buyers, the increase means higher monthly principal-and-interest payments and less…
Q2 2026 GDP Slows to 1.5%: Why AI Investment Is Propping Up a Narrower Economy
US GDP grew just 1.5% in Q2 2026, down from 2.1%, as AI investment and consumer spending offset a drag from trade and government cuts. Here's what the data really…