ECONOMICS

By Stuttgart Daily Leader

While La Ñina is helping ease the traffic knots at the Panama Canal, repeated attacks by Houthis — some fatal — have driven shippers to find alternatives to the Suez Canal, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The Panama Canal is a key route for global trade, including for Arkansas commodities such as soybeans and corn. In March, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that (more…)

Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute,

The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) left the target policy interest rate (the federal funds rate) unchanged at 5.5 percent last week. The target rate has now been flat at 5.5 percent since July of 2023—as the Fed waits and hopes that everything will turn out fine. In his prepared remarks at Wednesday’s FOMC press conference, Powell continued with the soothing message he has generally employed at these press (more…)

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Let's tune into the Fed’s Beige Book summary of economic activity in the twelve Federal reserve districts.

Summary below from The Beige Book Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions.

Beige Book Overall Activity Key Points

• Seven Districts reported some level of increase in activity, five noted flat or declining a (more…)