Economic & Market Watch

In the News

Economy

• U.S. homebuilder sentiment fell as the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index edged down to 32 in August from 33 in July, with current sales conditions declining slightly.
• Exports to the U.S. from the European Union declined 10% year-over-year in June, as U.S. tariffs began to hit the EU’s exports.

Markets

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures trended down toward $62/barrel as markets focused on the possibility of a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia with President Trump set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other European leaders.
• Stocks, bonds and the dollar kicked off this week on a quiet note as markets await the annual Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where central bankers around the world will gather.

Current Events

• In the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, U.S. working natural gas inventories are projected to reach 3,872 billion cubic feet (Bcf) by the end of October, which is 2% higher than the previous five-year average for that period. Natural gas inventories increased notably from late April through early June, with seven straight weeks of net injections exceeding 100 Bcf each—an occurrence not seen since 2014.
• Google and Kairos Power are set to deploy an advanced nuclear plant connected to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s electric grid by 2030 to help power Google’s data centers.

Meet the Team

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

Have feedback about the podcast? A topic you'd like the EMW team to cover? Get in touch at economicresearch@nrucfc.coop.

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