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Advisor Blog

Markets and Economy

Nationwide’s Chief of Investment Research and the Nationwide Economics team offer daily and weekly commentary and analysis of the equity and bond markets, including an overview of economic data being released, global market news, commodities and market performance by index returns. These timely insights can help you navigate markets and understand emerging trends.

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Economic Commentary
June 6, 2023 1 minute reading time.

Podcast: What’s the Fed’s next move?

Hear our analysis of the latest employment data and what the Fed may announce at their upcoming meeting. Will they raise rates again or decide to pause for now? Nationwide’s Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic and Senior Economist Ben Ayers provide their outlook on current economic conditions and discuss the Fed’s next move. • What does May’s employment report tell us about the overall economy? • What are the benefits and downfalls for a healthy labor market? • Could the Fed announce another rate increase at their next meeting? 
A person carrying a bag of groceries.
Capital Market Impact
June 5, 2023 4 minute reading time.

Equity markets break out on technical and fundamental strength

The lack of market breadth continues to pose a concern, as evidenced by the NASDAQ® 100 Index’s remarkable 32% increase, reaching an all-time high, while value and small-cap indexes remain flat this year. The performance gap between the NASDAQ 100 Index and the Russell 2000® Index is at a record high. May concluded with a fractional yet positive return, having achieved gains in three consecutive months and six out of the last eight since September of the previous year. 
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Economic Commentary
May 31, 2023 1 minute reading time.

Podcast: How busy will the travel season be?

Consumers are spending broadly on services this year - which is good news for the travel industry. Nationwide’s Chief Economist Kathy Bostjancic and Senior Economist Ben Ayers provide their outlook on consumer spending, especially in terms of travel and services. • What is the overall state of the consumer? • What's the outlook on summer travel? • How could a busy travel season delay the start of a potential recession? 
Person fills their car with gas.
Economic Commentary
May 25, 2023 2 minute reading time.

Elevated inflation, bank failures in tug-of-war over Fed policy

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 253,000 in April, while the unemployment rate matched a 70-year low of 3.4 percent. The CPI rose 0.4 percent in April as gas prices popped and higher used car prices drove an upward reversal in core goods prices. Real GDP expanded at a meager 1.1 percent annualized pace in the first quarter, as a plunge in business inventories weakened growth. 

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