The Week in Review from Valeo Financial Advisors (September 20, 2013)
World Economy
- Working at Age 65: A Global Comparison Valeo Financial Advisors
- India raises interest rates and mounting inflation has become a national concern The Economist
U.S. Economy
- Industrial output increased by 0.4%, with gains from auto makers leading the way despite headwinds. The Wall Street Journal
- The consumer-price index increased by 0.1%, which was lower than market expectations and suggesting it may take time for inflation to reach the goal of Federal Reserve policy Bloomberg News
- Jobless claims increased to 309,000 from 294,000 last week. 40 states and territories reported a decrease in claims while 13 reported an increase. Bloomberg News
U.S. Federal Reserve
- The Federal Reserve postponed tapering quantitative easing measures because fed officials decided the economy hadn’t lived up to their expectations for growth. The Wall Street Journal
- 9 out of 10 Fed officials voted not to pull back on the bond-buying program, while Ester George (Kansas City) stated continued QE could hurt financial stability Morningstar
Markets
- The S&P 500 and Down Jones Industrial Average reached record highs on Wednesday, closing at 1,729.86 and 15,709.60, respectively Yahoo! Finance
Housing
- Housing starts increased to 891K, less than market estimates but increasing 0.9% relative to July as new home construction for single-family homes increased notably. Morningstar
- Existing home sales reach a 6-1/2 year high in August with 5.48M units sold, beating prior months number of 5.39M Reuters