CHART OF THE WEEK

 

 

In just one year, the number of counties lacking a real choice in the Obamacare exchanges has almost doubled.  Today, nearly one-third of counties have a “choice” of only one insurer and a whopping 7 in 10 have two or fewer insurers offering coverage.

 

LAST WEEK

News & Commentary Weekly Highlights

• Bloomberg: Bank Execs in Davos Privately Say London Clearing Probably Safe (Thursday)
• Economics21: What the FDA Can Do to Help Consumers and Patients (Wednesday)
• Wall Street Journal: U.S. Inflation Gauge Tops 2%, Supporting Fed’s Plan to Raise Rates (Wednesday)
• Bloomberg: Mnuchin Sees an Asset in Banking Background Reviled by Democrats (Monday)
• Economics21: Meaningful Budget Reform from Chairman Price (Monday)

 

Top Economic Indicator Highlights

• Consumer Price Index (December)
  • Core CPI (excludes food and energy): December: 2.2%, November: 2.1%, October: 2.1%
  • Overall CPI: December: 2.1%, November: 1.7%, October: 1.6%
  • Noteworthy: While the Federal Reserve uses a broader measure of inflation (the core personal consumption expenditures price index) to determine its goal of maintaining 2% average inflation, recent CPI trends suggest that the Fed is increasingly likely to raise interest rates this year.

 

THIS WEEK

Upcoming CBO Release

• CBO Annual Budget and Economic Outlook (Tuesday 10:00am)

Upcoming Economic Data and Events

• Monday
  • No releases
• Tuesday
  • Philly Fed Non-Manufacturing Survey (8:30am)
  • Existing Home Sales (10:00am)
  • Richmond Fed Survey (10:00am)
• Wednesday
  •  No releases
• Thursday
  • Advance Economic Indicators (8:30am)
  • Chicago Fed National Activity Index (8:30am)
  • Composite Indexes (10:00am)
  • New Residential Sales (10:00am)
• Friday
  • Revised Building Permits (8:00am)
  • Advance Durable Goods (8:30am)
  • Gross Domestic Product (Advance Estimate) (8:30am)
  • Michigan Consumer Sentiment (Final) (10:00am)