"The further slump in retail sales in December confirms that the continued surge in coronavirus infections is now weighing heavily on the economy."
Business economists dial back expectations for GDP growth, corporate revenue, and hiring, among other key economic indicators.
Finance chiefs still think an economic downturn is coming, but not until 2020, finds the first-quarter Duke/CFO Global Business Outlook Survey.
Views of demand for products and services are dramatically different than they were a year ago, a study shows.
U.S. retail sales in the all-important holiday month recorded its biggest drop in more than nine years.
But the unemployment rate rose to 3.9% as more U.S. workers joined the labor force.
Nearly half of U.S. CFOs think the nation’s economy will enter a recession by the end of 2019, finds the fourth-quarter Duke/CFO Outlook Survey.
Management teams that develop a plan and prepare now will enter a recession with confidence and can emerge stronger.
Investor relations professionals should prepare for what's eventually inevitable: a reversion to the mean for stock prices.
"The coming months will continue to enjoy tailwinds from fiscal policy while monetary policy remains supportive of growth," says an S&P economist.
More workers were hired and many put in more hours, but overall they produced less, said the Labor Department.
