Economic Data

Good morning readers. Phil Rosen here. It's jobs day today. 

If the reading comes in too hot, the Fed's going to have even more ammunition to push interest rates higher in the coming months — and every move higher tightens the screws on the economy even more, ramping up risk of a recession. 

Good morning. Phil Rosen here, reporting from New York City. 

Economic data out Monday told us Americans are spending less on big-ticket items, with durable goods orders declining 4.5% in January from the prior month. 

It marked a bigger drop than expected, but it does little to change that the American consumer is off to a strong start this year. 

But remember, a strong consumer means high demand, which helps inflation stick around. That's the opposite of what the Federal Reserve wants.