From the Desk - Economic Commentary
Brandon Casey, Member Strategies - 1/15/2026
U.S. stocks are higher Thursday morning after two straight losing days. Bank and chip stocks are responsible for the bounce back today. Domestic stocks are still lower on the week as volatility continues.
Looking at economic data today, initial jobless claims unexpectedly fell to 198,000 last week, down from 207,000 the previous report and the lowest level since January 2024. Initial claims were expected to increase to 215,000. Continuing claims decreased 19,000 to 1.884 million.
Elsewhere, U.S. import prices rose 0.4% for the two-month period of October and November, with the government shutdown impacting the collection of data. Import prices were up 0.1% over the last twelve months ending in November. Excluding fuel and food, import prices were up 0.9% for the last twelve months ending in November. Export prices were up 0.5% over the two-month period and 3.3% over the last twelve months.
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