NSA

The headline jobs number at 145 thousand for December was below consensus expectations of 160 thousand, and the previous two months were revised down 14 thousand, combined. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.5%. Earlier: December Employment Report: 145…

Silvio Horta, the creator of "Ugly Betty," has died.  (Photo: Matt Sayles, ASSOCIATED PRESS) "Ugly Betty" creator Silvio Horta has died, according to reports. The Cuban-American writer and producer who was best known for his ABC comedy-drama  was found dea…

Notes: This CoreLogic House Price Index report is for November. The recent Case-Shiller index release was for October. The CoreLogic HPI is a three month weighted average and is not seasonally adjusted (NSA). From CoreLogic: oreLogic Reports November Home Pri…

Just as it had promised, Realme today launched its first 5G smartphone at an event held in China. The new Realme X50 5G is powered by Qualcomm's 7nm Snapdragon 765G chipset, which we expect to see in quite a few value flagships this year. The 5G-enabled smar…

CR Note: This is a repeat of earlier posts with updated graphs. A few key points:1) There is a clear seasonal pattern for house prices.2) The surge in distressed sales during the housing bust distorted the seasonal pattern.3) Even though distressed sales are…

S&P/Case-Shiller released the monthly Home Price Indices for October ("October" is a 3 month average of August, September and October prices). This release includes prices for 20 individual cities, two composite indices (for 10 cities and 20 cities) and …

Saying George Orwell's 1984 is my favorite book is like saying Star Wars is my favorite movie franchise. It would be more accurate to call them obsessions. I consume both in their entirety at least once a year, and have read everything there is to read about …

After a string of budget releases that have made Realme a force to be reckoned with, the former OPPO subsidiary has turned its sights toward the higher end of the smartphone space. The Realme X2 Pro was the company's first true flagship, featuring a top-of-th…

Last week, Spotify sent a number of USB drives to reporters with a note: "Play me." It's not uncommon for reporters to receive USB drives in the post. Companies distribute USB drives all the time, including at tech conferences, often containing promotional ma…

The Census Bureau reports New Home Sales in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 719 thousand. The previous three months were revised down, combined. "Sales of new single‐family houses in November 2019 were at a seasonally adjusted …