Akin Oyedele

We asked dozens of top strategists, economists, and writers for one chart that is top of mind right now.

The number of jobs added to the US economy in July is not the most important thing that will be revealed in Friday’s jobs report.Instead, the focus will be on wage growth, or the lack of it, amid assertions that the labor market is so tight that workers should be getting more meaningful raises.The good news, however, is that wages are rising at a faster pace for lower-wage workers.The Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release its numbers at 8:30 a.m. ET. Via Bloomberg, here are the consensus…

Evidence of that is found in Treasury bills.

Bitcoin is up over 400% since Shiller said in 2014 that it was in a bubble.

Morgan Stanley was the most bullish major Wall Street firm on the stock market in 2017. It’s not trying to retain the title next year.The volatility that has escaped markets this year will be back in 2018, the firm’s equity analysts forecast.This year is on track to go down as one of the most peaceful in market history. The CBOE Volatility Index fell to a record low of 8.56 on Black Friday’s short day of trading.Traders have bet on low volatility this year because many economies are growing simu…

Student loans have grown to become the largest source of consumer debt in the US besides mortgages.According to Goldman Sachs, the outstanding student loan balance has reached $1.3 trillion in face value, about the size of the high-yield corporate-bond market. This outstanding debt is not without problems, as it delays homeownership for some millennials and cuts their disposable income. Although the “bubble” is getting bigger, it’s not a risk to overall financial stability, Goldman’s Marty Young…

The Turkish lira did not go down on its own when it plunged to record lows. Emerging-market assets from currencies to stocks also sold off as investors wondered what Turkey’s currency trouble would mean for other countries. One of the most prominent victims of the drop was the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets exchange-traded fund (VWO), a basket of stocks located in China, South Africa, and other developing countries. With $90 billion in net assets, it’s a bedrock emerging-market ETF.Its top inves…

More evidence of a slowdown in the housing market came through this week.The latest data on sales of new and existing homes slowed more than economists had expected for a second straight month. During three quarters out of the past four, there was a decline in residential investment, which includes construction and brokers’ fees.Since the rest of the economy — particularly the job market — is in solid shape, it’s not the unwilling of buyers that’s slowing housing down.“If there’s a boogeyman in…

At the halfway point of 2023, it’s clear that stock market investors are experiencing a reversal of fortunes this year compared to 2022. Investors who own technology stocks are seeing particularly impressive gains, thanks in part to companies that are connected to the boom in artificial intelligence applications.The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 hit a 52-week high last week, bringing its year-to-date gains to more than 26%. The broader S&P 500 logged a 12% gain for the year so far, a mirror image of its…

Like most years, 2023 has been full of milestones and surprises in financial markets. Many forecasters have eaten humble pie, thanks to the much-anticipated recession that did not arrive, the jump in interest rates, the stock market’s resilience, and other narrative-defying events.But do you know an analyst, strategist, or economist who’s nailed their forecasts in 2023? Do you identify as one? We’d like to hear from you.Insider is seeking nominations for our 2023 Oracles of Wall Street list, whi…