1. FED INTEREST RATE DECISION The FOMC cut the benchmark Federal Funds rate by 25 basis points at their December policy meeting. It was the committee’s third consecutive rate cut, widely expected by markets. The decision was made along a 9-3 vote, the most divided the...

1. CPI INFLATION According to a delayed release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September Consumer Price Index Report, prices rose 0.3% month-over-month, a softer pace than most analysts had expected. However, consumer prices rose 3.0% year over year, a slight...

Manatee County’s broader growth backdrop remains constructive: strong in-migration and new-home activity anchored by east-county communities like Lakewood Ranch, steady—if moderating—job gains across the North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota economy, and ongoing...

1. FED INTEREST RATE DECISION The Federal Reserve cut the benchmark Federal Funds rate by 25 basis points at its September meeting, with just one official dissenting in favor of a larger, 50-basis-point cut. The Fed’s latest Summary of Economic Projections — released...

1. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index rose 0.4% month-over-month and 2.9% year-over-year in August, roughly in line with market estimates. While both the monthly and annual CPI rates were higher than in July, the...