Inflation Eases in October, A Glimmer of Hope for Consumers Amidst Economic Uncertainties

In October, consumer prices in the U.S. rose by 3.2% compared to the previous year, signaling a noteworthy slowdown and offering respite for consumers. The data reflects a 0.5% decline from September, showcasing progress in the Federal Reserve’s campaign to curb inflation. While the drop in gas prices contributed to this decline, core inflation, excluding food and energy prices, only slightly decreased to 4.0% in October. The positive development comes amid robust economic growth, with the GDP expanding at a rate of 4.9% over the three months ending in September. However, challenges such as rising long-term borrowing costs and record-high credit card debt pose potential risks to sustained economic growth.
Exclusive: Morgan Stanley to slash 2022 banker bonuses in Asia by up to half

Morgan Stanley plans to slash investment bankers’ annual bonuses by as much as 50% in Asia, said two people with direct knowledge of the matter, as the Wall Street firm reins in costs to tackle tough market conditions that have hit its revenue.
Bank data shows U.S. consumer financial health holds up amid rising inflation

Americans’ financial health held up well in the second quarter even as inflation sent gas and grocery bills higher and ate into savings for the first time since the pandemic, U.S. bank executives said.
Analysis: Investors brace for recession, more market turmoil after Fed’s supersized hike

Investors’ faith in a soft landing for the U.S. economy is being heavily tested, as a jumbo-sized interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve stirs worries over recession and more volatile trading ahead.
S&P, Dow futures edge higher ahead of GDP data; Nvidia slides

Futures tracking the Dow and S&P 500 rose on Thursday, ahead of data that will likely offer clues on how the U.S. economy fared amid persistently high inflation, while shares of Nvidia fell after the chipmaker’s dismal outlook.
Omicron restrains U.S. manufacturing; supply bottlenecks slowly easing

A measure of U.S. manufacturing activity fell to a 14-month low in January amid an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, supporting the view that economic growth lost steam at the start of the year.
Apple will not call employees back to work until 2022

The Delta variant has become the latest roadblock to reopening offices and employees returning to work. Apple has postponed returning employees to the office until January at the earliest, citing concerns about an increase in Covid cases. Employees were notified of the decision in a company memo sent out on Thursday, according to Bloomberg News. […]