Macro Briefing: 27 August 2025
But orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for business spending, rebounded 1…US durable goods orders fell sharply in July, led by a plunge in transportation equipment……
US durable goods orders fell sharply in July, led by a plunge in transportation equipment. But orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for business spending, rebounded 1.1% in July after falling by 0.6% in June.
Trump imposes 50% tariffs on India. The sharply higher import fee makes India — one of the US’s strongest partners in the Indo-Pacific — among the countries with the highest tariffs in the world.
US home prices continued to set new record highs, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Prices rose by an annual 1.9% in June, down from May’s 2.6% increase.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration is “thinking” about taking an equity stake in defense and munitions companies. His comments follow an agreement that for the government to take a 10% equity stake in chipmaker Intel in exchange for a $8.9 billion investment.
The US Consumer Confidence Index fell slightly in August, but remained close to levels over the past three months, the Conference Board reports. “Notably, consumers’ appraisal of current job availability declined for the eighth consecutive month, but stronger views of current business conditions mitigated the retreat in the Present Situation Index,” said Stephanie Guichard, a senior economist at the consultancy.
Author: James Picerno