U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows Sharply in October, Exceeding Expectations

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed significantly in October, falling 11.9% to $73.8 billion, according to data released Thursday by the Commerce Department. This was a much smaller deficit than expected, as economists had expected a deficit of $75.4 billion. The trade gap for September has been revised downward to $83.7 billion from the original estimate […]

Business Optimism Deteriorates Sharply On Election Worries

Kamala Harris' rising popularity in national political polls has come at the cost of worsening optimism among American businesses. A September survey of executives revealed a sharp deterioration in forecasts for output over the next 12 months, according to S&P Global, with the survey's future output index falling to its lowest level since October 2022 […]

Mortgage rates fall sharply to lowest level in over a year

Erin Sykes, chief economist at Nest Seekers International, opines on “The Bottom Line” that high interest rates continue to hurt the housing market. Mortgage rates plummeted to their lowest levels in more than a year this week, boosting demand in the housing market. Freddie Mac’s latest primary mortgage market survey released Thursday showed that the […]