The US economy continues to thrive, according to many June economic reports. But some economists fear the longest expansion in US history is near its peak and threatened by the recent trade wars. They believe expansionary monetary policy is appropriate to prolong the expansion because there appears to be little risk that an overheated economy would fuel too much inflation. More

During the first quarter of 2019, the United States economy grew 3.2%, which is remarkable given the economy is nearly a decade into its most recent expansion. Employment is strong and workers continue to be added to payrolls. Inflation has been so tame that the Federal Reserve chose to discontinue its policy of tightening. Yet, as always, there are a few concerns. Review my summary of these important government reports and read my analysis at the end of this blog. More

Many of the world's most valued companies have relatively few tangible assets when compared to 50 years ago. Why? And what are the implications for investors and the rest of the economy? Mr. Sharples writes about the book Capitalism without Capital by Haskel and Westlake. More

The US economy continues to grow, but it is showing some signs of nearing the peak of its near record expansion as the pace of the economic growth slows. Recent economic data seem conflicting. Unemployment decreased to a near record low, but the number of people added to payrolls fell to 20,000 from 311,000. Inflation remains tame, but workers have seen their paychecks increase more than the inflation rate. Recent economic data are summarized below. My analysis is provided at the end of the blog. More