From the Desk - Economic Commentary
Brandon Casey, Member Strategies - 5/14/2026
U.S. equity markets are trading higher this morning as investors continue to digest a series of inflation-focused data releases and a meeting between the U.S. and China. The DJIA moved above 50,000, a level that it hadn’t seen since earlier this year. President Trump and President Xi met in China on Thursday, with talks centered on creating a more cooperative relationship between the countries.
Retail sales increased in April, with headline sales rising 0.5% for the month, in line with expectations but slowing from a 1.6% increase in March. Much of the increase can be attributed to higher gas prices. Sales were up 4.9% over the last year, up from a 4.4% annual reading last month. Core retail sales, which most closely resemble the consumer spending component of GDP, were also up 0.5% for the month.
Initial jobless claims rose to 211,000 for the week ending May 9, above expectations of 205,000. Initial claims were revised down to 199,000 in the prior week. Continuing claims increased by 24,000 to 1.782 million.
Import and export prices moved higher in April, reflecting rising costs across global goods markets. U.S. import prices increased 1.9% month-over-month, following a 0.9% gain in March, driven by higher fuel and nonfuel prices. On an annual basis, import prices were up 4.2%, marking the strongest year-over-year increase since October 2022. Excluding fuel, import prices were up 0.8% for the month. Export prices rose 3.3% in April after a 1.5% increase the previous month.
Subscribe to our daily From the Desk newsletter to get economic commentaries and updated market rates sent directly to your inbox.
Subscribe Here