Economic Beat Hub

Listen to our past weekly audio updates reviewing market news and financial insights.

How will current market developments affect you? The thought leaders at Fifth Third Bank can help make sense of it all. Listen to the Economic Beat as they discuss what happened last week and what they expect will be the focus of this week. Click the button below to listen or read the transcript to this week's Economic Beat.

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Past Economic Beats

January 11, 2021

Week Ahead Brings Several Economic Updates

Democrats won two seats in Georgia’s runoff elections, leaving the incoming Senate split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker vote. Markets reacted positively to the news, on expectations for more stimulus and infrastructure spending.

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December

November

November 23, 2020

Vaccine Progress Offset by Worsening COVID-19 Rates

News on vaccine progress continued to be upbeat, but was offset by worsening COVID-19 infection rates and increased state and local restrictions across the country to help slow the spread.

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November 16, 2020

Vaccine Announcements Boost U.S. Equities

Pfizer and BioNTech announced their COVID vaccine candidate demonstrated an efficacy rate above 90%, positively impacting U.S. equities.

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November 9, 2020

Major U.S. Equity Benchmarks Rally

Major U.S. equity benchmarks rallied last week, leading the S&P 500 Index to its best weekly performance since April. Vaccine optimism, better-than-expected corporate earnings results, strong economic releases and a commitment to continued support from the Federal Reserve also helped the rally.

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November 2, 2020

Election Week in the United States

It is election week in the United States, and markets are expected focus almost exclusively on the outcome of the presidential election and the races that will determine the control of the Senate.

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October

September

August

August 31, 2020

Fed Shifts to More Flexible Inflation Approach

U.S. equities rose last week as investors were encouraged by COVID-19 vaccine optimism and an announcement from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on a shift to a more flexible inflation approach.

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August 24, 2020

Unemployment Levels Lowest Since Early April

U.S. COVID-19 cases declined last week, vaccine development continued to progress, and economic releases were favorable—all supportive of a good outcome in equity markets last week. And unemployment claims went up unexpectedly by 135,000 for the week ending August 15th to a seasonally adjusted 1.1 million.

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August 17, 2020

Stimulus Measures, Vaccine Optimism, and Positive Economic Data

Tailwind of massive stimulus measures, vaccine optimism, and positive economic data drove markets last week. And presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate seemed to have little impact on market sentiment.

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August 10, 2020

Strong Economic Data, Shrugging Off Relief Package Stalemate

The White House and congressional Democrats remained far apart in relief package negotiations last week, and tensions continued to flare up between the U.S. and China—though markets largely ignored this concern.

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August 3, 2020

Second-half Uncertainty Leading to Investor Caution

Vaccine optimism overshadowed a continued uptick in coronavirus infections and the re-imposition of some mitigation measures. In addition, consensus expectations continued to revolve around a fifth coronavirus relief package that could address some of the dampened recovery momentum.

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July

Economic Beat Hub

Past Economic Beats

January 11, 2021

Week Ahead Brings Several Economic Updates

December 14, 2020

Weekly Jobless Claims Reach Three-month High

December 7, 2020

Optimism Around Vaccines Remains Elevated

November 23, 2020

Vaccine Progress Offset by Worsening COVID-19 Rates

November 16, 2020

Vaccine Announcements Boost U.S. Equities

November 9, 2020

Major U.S. Equity Benchmarks Rally

November 2, 2020

Election Week in the United States

October 5, 2020

Markets React to President's COVID Diagnosis

September 28, 2020

Election Uncertainty Weighs on Markets

September 21, 2020

Fed chair Jerome Powell Outlines Significant New Policy

September 14, 2020

S&P 500 Index Lower for Second Straight Week

August 31, 2020

Fed Shifts to More Flexible Inflation Approach

August 24, 2020

Unemployment Levels Lowest Since Early April

August 17, 2020

Stimulus Measures, Vaccine Optimism, and Positive Economic Data

August 10, 2020

Strong Economic Data, Shrugging Off Relief Package Stalemate

August 3, 2020

Second-half Uncertainty Leading to Investor Caution

July 27, 2020

Investors Wary of Economy's Ability to Rebound

Economic Beat Hub

Past Economic Beats

January 11, 2021

Week Ahead Brings Several Economic Updates

December 14, 2020

Weekly Jobless Claims Reach Three-month High

December 7, 2020

Optimism Around Vaccines Remains Elevated

November 23, 2020

Vaccine Progress Offset by Worsening COVID-19 Rates

November 16, 2020

Vaccine Announcements Boost U.S. Equities

November 9, 2020

Major U.S. Equity Benchmarks Rally

November 2, 2020

Election Week in the United States

October 5, 2020

Markets React to President's COVID Diagnosis

September 28, 2020

Election Uncertainty Weighs on Markets

September 21, 2020

Fed chair Jerome Powell Outlines Significant New Policy

September 14, 2020

S&P 500 Index Lower for Second Straight Week

August 31, 2020

Fed Shifts to More Flexible Inflation Approach

August 24, 2020

Unemployment Levels Lowest Since Early April

August 17, 2020

Stimulus Measures, Vaccine Optimism, and Positive Economic Data

August 10, 2020

Strong Economic Data, Shrugging Off Relief Package Stalemate

August 3, 2020

Second-half Uncertainty Leading to Investor Caution

July 27, 2020

Investors Wary of Economy's Ability to Rebound

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