Liz Ann Sonders Re-poster

January PPI #inflation +2.9% y/y vs. +2.6 est. & +3% prior ... ex food and energy (chart) +3.6% vs. +3% est. & +3.3% prior

Here is a breakdown of the performance for sectors and indexes, including the figures for yesterday, MTD, and YTD.

The share of equities within each sector currently reaching new price peaks across a range of timeframes.

We have updated the performance section. The index tables and the Mag7 chart and table now reflect data through yesterday’s close.

The MA breadth charts have been refreshed to reflect activity through yesterday's close.

The number of active U.S. farms remains on a downward path, currently sitting at a seven-year low. As highlighted by @DataArbor, the industry saw the closure of 15,000 farms in 2025. Texas experienced the most significant drop, leading the nation with the largest decline in agricultural operations.

Following adjustments made via the ISM Methodology, the Kansas City Manufacturing Index advanced to 52.4 in February. This level indicates that the index is currently approaching a cycle high.

Based on data from @DataArbor, there has been a notable divergence in price increases over the last two decades. Since January 2000, the headline CPI has risen by 93%, whereas medical care costs have jumped by 130% during the same timeframe.

During the past week, the AAII bull-bear spread sustained its downward trajectory. This movement has officially brought the reading into net negative territory. @AAIISentiment

Federal initial jobless claims retreated after a slight uptick and still remain low following last year’s government shutdown spike

The February Manufacturing Index from @KansasCityFed rose to 5, surpassing the estimate of 2 and the prior figure of 0. Underlying data indicates shipments came in at 11 versus the prior -2, while new orders reached 7 against a previous 0. Additionally, prices paid tracked at 42 compared to the prior 44.

Here is an update on the latest labor statistics. Initial jobless claims have climbed to 212k, which stands against the 208k prior figure and the 216k estimate. Regarding continuing claims, the total is now 1.833M, compared to the 1.858M forecast and the previous reading of 1.864. When analyzing specific regions, we observed the most substantial rises in RI (+1.5k), OK (+0.63k), and OR (+0.61k). In contrast, the largest declines occurred in MI (-3.6k), NY (-2.6k), and OH (-2.1k).

The index tables and the Mag7 chart and table have been refreshed to show performance data through the close of yesterday.

The following overview presents the performance of sectors and indexes including data from yesterday, MTD, and YTD.

The share of equities within each sector currently trading at new price peaks across a range of timeframes

The MA breadth charts have been refreshed to reflect the market data through yesterday's close.

According to the latest findings from ⁦@Conferenceboard⁩, consumer optimism regarding the labor market improved during February. The percentage of individuals reporting that jobs were plentiful climbed to 28%, marking the highest level seen in three months.

The latest MBA data indicates that mortgage applications increased by +0.4%, following the +2.8% gain seen in the prior week. Furthermore, refinancing activity rose by +4.1%, compared to the +7.1% increase recorded previously.

During the previous week, mortgage rates fell by 8 basis points to reach 6.09%. This adjustment brings rates down to their lowest point since 2022.

Median number of days a home sat on the market in January was 66, up from 59 days in 2025; last comparable level was back in January 2017 ⁦
@DataArbor⁩