US service sector regains speed in August; employment weak
By Reuters September 4, 2025 WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) – U.S. services sector activity picked up in August, but employment remained subdued as labor market conditions ease. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Thursday its nonmanufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) increased to 52.0 last month from 50.1 in July. Economists polled by Reuters had […]
Services PMIs and the Late Business Cycle Expansion
by Christopher Combs Silicon Valley Capital Partners 09/05/2025 Services PMIs have bottomed and are now expanding, marking a pivotal shift in the global economy. This turning point underscores both opportunity—through stronger earnings and output—and risk, as inflationary pressures mount and policy options narrow. Figure 1: Services PMIs in the Eurozone, United Kingdom, and United States […]
Congressional Budget Office Confirms Tariff Revenue Will Decrease Deficit by $4 Trillion
By Kenneth Rapoza August 26, 2025 The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) upped the ante on their estimate for fiscal deficit reduction last week, all due to higher tariffs that kicked into effect this month. Tariffs are offsetting tax cuts signed into law this summer in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). The CBO raised its […]
US Economy Expands at Revised 3.3% Rate on Stronger Investment
By Mark Niquette 08/28/2025 06:01:17 [BN] Summary by Bloomberg AI The US economy expanded in the second quarter at a 3.3% annualized pace, due to a pickup in business investment and an outsize boost from trade. Business investment expanded at a 5.7% pace, and the government’s other main gauge of economic activity — gross domestic income — […]
U.S. Tariff Revenues: Offsetting Tax Cuts and Shifting the Burden Abroad
By Chris Combs Silicon Valley Capital Partners Introduction In an era when U.S. fiscal policy is often characterized by widening deficits and mounting debt, a surprising development has emerged. The federal government’s aggressive use of tariffs—once seen primarily as a trade tool—is now delivering a major fiscal dividend. At the same time that recent tax […]
Financial Times: Retail investors should stay away from private funds
Financial Times by Sheila Bair The writer is the former chair of the FDIC and author of ‘Money Tales’, financial education books for children Published Aug 19 2025 Individuals should be wary of the Trump administration’s plans to broaden the access to the asset class. The renowned investor Peter Lynch once said that “dumb money […]
What Is A.G.I.?
Source: New York Times (May 16, 2025), by Cade Metz Introduction Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) has become one of the most discussed—and misunderstood—concepts in the technology world. Unlike today’s narrow AI systems, which excel at single domains (like writing text or generating images), AGI refers to intelligence that can learn, reason, and adapt across multiple […]
MIT report: “95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing”
by Paolo Confino. Supplementary coverage from Computerworld (August 19, 2025) and AInvest.com. Source: fortune (August 28, 2025) Executive Summary Overview A new report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab’s Connected AI group finds that 95% of corporate generative AI pilot projects are failing to generate meaningful financial returns. The study highlights a striking […]
US Retail Sales Climb in Broad Advance After Upward Revision
By: Augusta Saraiva 08/15/2025 05:38:21 [BN] Summary by Bloomberg AI US retail sales rose in July in a broad-based advance, boosted by car sales and major online promotions. The value of retail purchases increased 0.5% after an upwardly revised 0.9% gain in June, Commerce Department data showed. Nine out of 13 categories posted increases, led by […]
Foreign Holdings of Treasuries Climbed to a Record High in June
By Christopher Anstey and Ye Xie 08/15/2025 13:00:00 [BN] Summary by Bloomberg AI Foreign investor holdings of Treasuries climbed to a record high in June, totaling $9.13 trillion. Britain and Belgium saw the biggest gains in holdings, while India and Ireland posted declines. Japan, the biggest holder of Treasuries, saw a $12.6 billion rise in its holdings, to $1.15 […]