Economic & Market Watch

In the News

Economy

• The Federal Reserve is set to meet this week, where it is widely expected to cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points.
• Goldman Sachs says there is a $115 billion “blind spot” in how U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) measures the economic impact of artificial intelligence—AI infrastructure and cloud-based investments have surged, but much of that is categorized as intermediate goods and thus undercounted in official GDP.

Markets

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures are trading near $63/barrel amid worries over supply disruptions following Ukrainian drone attacks on major Russian oil infrastructure.
• U.S. equity markets moved higher as investors weigh expectations for a likely Fed rate cut later this week. The S&P 500 is nearing record highs, supported by optimistic trade developments and easing financial pressures.

Current Events

• The U.S. and China reached an agreement in principle on the commercial terms for the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations during trade talks in Madrid. Final details are pending approval by both leaders, with additional negotiations on tariffs, raw materials and fentanyl to follow.
• China has intensified its regulatory scrutiny of U.S. semiconductor manufacturer NVIDIA, asserting that a preliminary investigation revealed the company breached China’s antitrust laws during its 2020 acquisition of an Israeli firm.

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