After almost a year of public debate, the Fed announced a subtle but important change to its monetary policy framework. Rather than targeting an inflation rate of 2%, the Fed will look to achieve an average inflation rate of 2% over time.
As we enter the final few weeks preceding the US election, President Trump is more committed than ever to deliver a vaccine for Covid-19, or at least convince the public that one is very near. It's no secret that the electorate overwhelmingly disapproves his management of the pandemic, so this focus is part of a campaign effort to improve his standing prior to the election.
Equity market developments since the beginning of April have been confounding. On the one hand, most of the worst predictions for the global economy have been confirmed, and most countries are in the midst of the worst economic contraction in a century. On the other hand, markets have recovered back to recent highs that were achieved at a time when the outlook was relatively robust, few had heard of Covid-19, and valuations were arguably somewhat high. What accounts for this dissonance?
