Economic & Market Watch

Join CFC's economic research team—John Suter and Sam Kem—for their expert, yet easily digestible, perspective on what you need to know.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Trading Economics

Economy

• Market watchers’ focus this week is on the Consumer Price Index to be released Tuesday and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision to be announced Wednesday.
• A new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that excessive profits by big energy and consumer companies in 2022 pushed inflation higher in most advanced economies.

Markets

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell to $71/barrel, continuing its weak momentum caused by increasing concerns about low global demand.
• Stocks, bonds, gold and crypto are surging simultaneously, sparking concerns of a “fleeting sugar high” at the end of the monetary tightening cycle.

Current Events

• The United States started this winter with the most natural gas in storage since 2020.
• The world economy is on the brink of “Cold War II,” which could annihilate progress made since the collapse of the Soviet Union, warns International Monetary Fund First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath.