Financial News for the Week of February 22, 2019

Spring training got underway this week, a reminder that better weather is just around the corner. But, it will likely be some time before we see signs of spring in the U.S. economy. Various indicators pointed to soft momentum at the end of 2018 and early in 2019. Last week it was retail sales and industrial production. This week, the bad news came from durable goods orders and existing home sales.

Overall durable goods orders rose 1.2% in December, but the underlying business-investment gauge – nondefense capital goods orders ex-aircraft – declined 0.7%, the fourth decline since August. Capex spending had already slowed in the third quarter of 2018 after a period of strength (Chart 1), and the durables data suggests a similarly modest pace in Q4. That lines up with our capital expenditure tracker, (based on Fed sentiment surveys) and points to more modest growth into early 2019 as well.

Uncertainty related to trade policy and slower growth abroad likely contributed to more modest business spending in the latter half of 2018. Markets were optimistic about ongoing China-U.S. talks this week, but there is no concrete news yet. The President also indicated that March 1st is not a magic date, providing hope that an escalation in tariffs isn’t imminent. It could also mean that talks drag on, keeping the cloud of uncertainty hanging over investment. The U.S. housing market also started 2019 on a weaker footing. Existing home sales fell 1.2% in January, hitting the lowest level since November 2015. It is likely sales were somewhat depressed by uncertainty due to the government shutdown, but the trend was already soft.

Deteriorating affordability has cut into housing demand over the past year, but mortgage rates have dropped about 60 basis points since late 2018, which should show up in improved sales in the months to come (Chart 2). Homebuilder confidence also improved in February, supporting a more positive housing narrative ahead.

Finally, on the data front, the delayed fourth quarter GDP report is released next week. We expect growth moderated to 2.2% in Q4, after running above 3 ½% through the middle of the year. With the government shutdown and the continued phenomenon of residual seasonality, the first quarter of 2019 is likely to be even weaker at 1.6%. For now, this lackluster data affirms that the Fed made the right choice to shift off of gradual rate increases, and wait patiently to see if the U.S. economy remains resilient in the face of global weakness. The minutes from the January FOMC meeting showed members debating whether further rate hikes will be necessary, but not contemplating cuts. Members continued to view sustained expansion strong labor market conditions, and inflation near 2% as the most likely path ahead. We too expect economic momentum to improve in the spring, and remain modestly above trend through the remainder of 2019. As long as there are no curve balls, the Fed is likely to raise rates once more in the latter half of the year.