Gary Siegel

New home sales rose to 719,000 in November, from a downwardly revised 710,000 pace in October, first reported as a 733,000 pace, the Commerce Department said Monday.

With issuance for 2019 done, investors and money managers look forward to a new year — there is optimism that drivers of muni performance will carry over.

Gross domestic product grew at the expected 2.1% annualized pace in the third quarter, as economists wondered how long consumers will stay strong and offset soft business investment.

The markets suggest investors won't react to the impeachment of President Trump, while a mixed bag of indicators say the economy will continue growing at a moderate pace.

The economy should continue its moderate growth path, inflation may tick up, downside risks seem to have been put at bay by the Federal Reserve, and rates are likely to stay where they are, experts say.

Recession fears, which persisted earlier this year, have subsided and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren does not expect a downturn unless a major shock occurs.

With markets still digesting Friday’s news, one thing is clear: the Federal Reserve will keep rates steady.

Reports of a trade deal and an election that seems to cement Brexit don’t remove the uncertainties the Federal Reserve has been worrying about.

Inflation remains tame, and although the consumer price index has ticked up, producer prices surprised to the downside Thursday.

As expected the Federal Open Market Committee left rates at a range of 1.5% to 1.75%, with no officials dissenting, and the updated forecasts call for rates to remain there through 2020.

With Federal Reserve officials offering a united front on keeping interest rates steady, attention will focus on the Summary of Economic Projections and the repo market.

As the Federal Open Market Committee convenes for its final scheduled meeting this year, one where President Trump kept upping the political pressure, the 2020 elections threaten to make the situation worse.

The strength of Friday’s employment report confirms that growth will pick up and recession is unlikely before 2023, according to at least one expert.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed to $47.2 billion in October, the smallest shortfall since May 2018.

Peter Ireland, an economics professor at Boston College and a member of the Shadow Open Market Committee, discusses why the Fed’s 2019 “reversal” made sense, the economy, low inflation, how referencing a rule could help the Fed with monetary policy, and the biggest challenge facing the central bank. Gary Siegel hosts.

Wednesday's ADP employment number and the ISM's non-manufacturing index missed forecasts, raising the possibility a rate cut will be discussed if Friday's jobs report also disappoints.

The economy is in a different place than it was entering 2019, when the Federal Reserve was in a tightening cycle, yield curves were inverting, and the markets expected a recession.

The manufacturing sector and construction spending came in weaker than expected, though probably not bad enough for the Federal Reserve to care.

A smaller decline in business investment and continued consumer spending suggest the economy will continue to grow at a moderate pace.

Federal Reserve Board Gov. Lael Brainard presented her alternative to quantitative asset purchases.