If you look at enough charts, you can see that the preponderance of evidence suggests a growing amount of positive economic and market news for 2024. Photo courtesy of worldoflard via Flickr.
The year 2023 lacked clarity. Will there be a recession or not? Will inflation ever get under control? Can the equity market continue to go up if a select number of mega-cap stocks are leading it? Let’s reflect on the charts and graphs that defined the markets for 2023 with the expectation it will provide some insight as to what to expect in 2024.
Federal Funds Rate
The Federal Reserve raised rates from effectively zero percent in 2022 to 4.25 percent in 2022. The Fed added one additional percentage point in 2023, seemingly ending its hiking campaign in July 2023.
Chart courtesy of Trading Economics.
Inflation
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is…
