Homework SourseLearners are to research the current value and the expected
Learners are to research the current value and the expected future changes in the following economic indicators using http://research.stlouisfed.org/.:
• GDP and the rate of GDP growth
• Measures of inflation and consumer prices
• Level of money supply growth
• Discount rate
• Federal funds rate
• Measures of employment and the unemployment rate
• Investment spending by the private sector
• U.S. trade balance
• Value of the dollar on foreign currency markets
• Housing starts
• Retail sales
• Consumer confidence
• S&P 500 Stock Index
• Other variables you believe to be important
The question wants the current value and expected future changes for each of the the above listed. For the future changes, there needs to be a value and if it is an increase or decrease from current value. The website provided was given to find the information above.
Solution
I have checked the website http://research.stlouisfed.org/.: and found it quite difficult to get data for all the points listed above. with the assumption that growth percentages are same for the next period, see the following points:
| 2015 Q3 | 2015 Q4 | Change | 2016 Q1 | |
| U.S. / Euro Foreign Exchange Rate | 1.1119 | 1.0954 | -0.0148395 | 1.079145359 |
| Civilian Unemployment Rate(%) | 5.2 | 5 | -0.0384615 | 4.80769 |
| Effective Federal Fund rates | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.14285714 | 0.18272 |
| 2015-10 | 2015-11 | 2015-12 | ||
| Consumer price index | 238.04 | 238.11 | 0.00029407 | 238.1800043 |
| Nov-15 | Dec-15 | Jan-16 | ||
| BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Master II Option-Adjusted Spread© | 6.14 | 6.87 | 0.11889251 | 7.68679491 |
| Trade Weighted U.S. Dollar Index: Broad | 119.192 | 122.29 | 0.02599168 | 125.4685617 |
| 2015 Q2 | 2015 Q3 | 2015 Q4 | ||
| Velocity of M2 Money Stock | 1.501 | 1.49 | -0.0073284 | 1.47908128 |
| Real GDP | 3.9 | 2 | -0.4871795 | 1.026 |
| GDP | 17913.7 | 18060.2 | 0.0081781 | 18207.89632 |
