Eight times a year the Fed publishes the Beige Book, which gives us a synopsis of the overall health of the U.S. economy.

Eight times a year the Fed publishes the Beige Book, which gives us a synopsis of the overall health of the U.S. economy. It’s available to the public and is released 2 weeks before the FOMC meeting. The snapshot illustrates the U.S. economy continued to expand at a moderate pace and saw an increase in hiring levels. There were general improvements in the real estate market as most districts cited a boost in residential home sales. Retail Sales are a very essential component of the report since consumer spending accounts for 70% of GDP and have showed gains since the last report. The districts had mixed views on leisure and tourist spending, but reported steady growth in the manufacturing sector. Based on the Beige Book, the outlook for the U.S. economy seems to be positive. Initial jobless claims for the week ending 1/11 is down 2,000 to 326,000 and Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December is up 3%. Have a great day!