Author: Joe Higgins

The U.S. economy is back to a period where good news for our businesses is somehow bad news for financial markets. 

A serious issue for our industry is the recent prediction that mortgage rates will not break the 6% barrier either this year or next. 

After the impact of two successive hurricanes and a significant strike at Boeing in October, job creation soared in November as the economy added 227,000 workers. 

U.S. employers added only 12,000 jobs in October according to the latest jobs report, and gave economists on Wall Street something to argue about in the months ahead. 

The Federal Reserve cut its funds rate by half a point on Sept. 18, and all those businesses that are affected by the housing market were told that mortgage rates would fall. 

Despite an unexpectedly strong jobs report, the Fed will likely pursue a series of rate cuts, which bodes well for both home sales and home goods retailers.

The recent cut in interest rates is good news for independent retailers because of the positive effect it will have on home-buyers. 

The stock market severely overreacted to last week’s job’s report, which many saw as a sign of an impending recession.