BY: MARSHALL BARTLETT
Senior Vice President / Portfolio Manager
(615) 591-0611 mbartlett@argenttrust.com
Announced this morning, weekly jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 216,000 for the previous week, as expected. Throughout 2018, weekly jobless claims have remained in the low 200k range. Historically, levels below 300k are considered normal for a healthy economy. The last time we have seen levels near 200k was in the 1960’s, underscoring the firm labor market currently in place. Until the strong labor market leads to higher wages and inflation, the Federal Reserve should have flexibility to moderate their interest rate policy should they choose to do so. In all, equity futures are lower this morning heading into the market open following yesterday’s strong gains.
This information has been prepared by Argent Trust to highlight issues which may be of interest to the recipient and is not intended as legal, investment or tax advice. You are urged to seek legal, tax and accounting counsel for your particular situation before acting on topics discussed here. At Argent Trust, we assist our clients in managing and enhancing their wealth. Please call us at 615.591.0044 with questions or to schedule a meeting. © 2018 Argent Financial.
