Joe Brusuelas

Democrats didn’t get the blue wave they hoped for Tuesday, but they picked up enough votes to take the majority in the House of Representatives, with Republicans maintaining control of the Senate. A divided Congress wasn’t particularly surprising to analysts, but there were...

The Federal Reserve delivered Wednesday the interest rate hike the markets were expecting. The Fed announced it will be upping the fed funds target rate by 0.25 percent to a range of 2.0-2.25 percent. “Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August indicates that...

The Federal Reserve beginning Tuesday is holding a two-day meeting. It’s widely anticipated given the strength of the U.S. economy that the Fed will once again raise interest rates by 0.25 percent to a range of between 2.0 percent and 2.25 percent. Investors are also anticipating another rate...

After effecting a rate hike in June, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve maintained rates between 1.75 percent and 2 percent at its Aug. 1 meeting. “The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative, thereby supporting strong labor market conditions and a...

The rate hike came as no surprise. The Federal Reserve was widely expected to announce a 25-basis-point pop after its Wednesday meeting. Instead, it was the nuance of the policy statement that piqued reactions. “Seemingly comforted by domestic economic dynamism, and confident enough to brush...

Janet Yellen, the pro tem chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, is entering the final stretch of her time at the helm of the world’s most powerful and influential central bank. Yellen submitted her resignation Nov. 11, effective once her successor is sworn in next year. A Historic Stint...

The Federal Reserve’s June 14 report heralded a tightening of monetary policy and gradual rate hikes to achieve the Federal Open Market Committee’s 2-percent inflation goal. But any excitement surrounding the news was quickly neutralized by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)’s...

Considering a strengthening labor market, solid job gains, rising household spending and expansion of business fixed investments, the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve raised the target interest rate to between 1 and 1.25 percent Wednesday. Additionally, it announced an impending...

On Friday at 8:30 a.m. EDT, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its jobs report for the month of May. The report will include statistics on unemployment, the labor market, wages and more. Some key figures to look out for are non-farm and private payrolls, which measure how many people...

A proposed 15 percent corporate tax rate widely expected to be rolled out Wednesday by the White House is a case of talk translating to action, according to RSM US LLP Chief Economist Joe Brusuelas. A reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35 to 15 percent is the linchpin of President Donald...

The markets are reading centrist Emmanuel Macron’s lead in the first round of voting in the French presidential election as a victory after a potential face-off between hard-left and hard-right candidates was avoided Sunday. Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker and French government...

After two consecutive months of better-than-expected payroll growth, with January and February beating estimates by a combined 87,000 jobs, the United States suffered a significant miss in its March employment figures. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics establishment survey, total nonfarm...

According to President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, Trump is considering a 20 percent border adjustment tax on Mexican imports. Trump is also reportedly considering a 45 percent tariff on imported Chinese goods as well. Trump has also threatened German automakers with a 35...

Following a two-day meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it has decided to raise its benchmark short-term interest rate by 0.25 percent, effective Thursday, after one year with no changes. The federal-funds rate will now stand between 0.50 and 0.75 percent. The decision was...

The Federal Open Market Committee's latest minutes showed members generally agreed the prudent move was to wait for added data on labor market conditions and the impact of the Brexit before making any rate changes. Most Fed members suggested a Brexit vote could generate turbulence in financials...