The world's largest economy appears to have grown by about 2% in Q3 at an annualized pace, the same as in Q2, and in line with what many Fed officials understand to be trend growth. The strength of the US labor market underpins consumption, the powerful engine of the US economy. The latest readings of both the labor market and consumption will highlight the economic data in the week ahead. The strength of the recent housing data (starts and sales) suggest that the decline in interest rates is beginning to have some traction in the particularly sensitive sectors of the economy. It seems that the economic conditions ... (full story)