Stronger Growth, Steady Labor Market, and a $450M Deal
The economy outperformed expectations in Q3 and late 2025, unemployment claims stayed low, credit card rate caps resurfaced in Washington, and Nathan’s Famous was acquired in a major merger.
Third-Quarter Economy Stronger Than Initially Thought
The economy did better in the third quarter of 2025 than even the government thought it did.
Bolstered by strong consumer spending, the U.S. economy grew at the fastest pace in two years from July through September, according to figures released by the Commerce Department. the government said Thursday. Read Full Article
Trump Floats Getting Help From Congress on Credit Card Rates
President Donald Trump said a couple of weeks ago he’d be signing an executive order limiting credit card interest to 10%.
After getting pushback from some of the country’s biggest banks and credit card companies, Trump has pivoted, using his speech at the World Economic Forum to say he’ll seek help from Congress to get it done. Read Full Article
Economy Closed 2025 ‘Better Than Expected’
Delayed personal income and outlays reports will likely show that inflation held a solid notch above the Fed’s 2% target in October and November. Personal consumption expenditures were likely soft in October during the government shutdown, then bounced higher in November as the shutdown’s headwind abated. Personal income likely grew solidly in October and November. Read Full Article
The Number of Unemployment Applications Inches Back Up
The number of workers filing for first-time unemployment benefits remained on something of a roller coaster last week.
After falling to an adjusted 199,000 last week, the number of Americans filing for benefits last week inched up by about 1,000, rising to 200,000 for the week ending Jan. 17, according to statistics released Thursday by the Labor Department. Despite the slight hike, the number remains historically low. The 200,000 applications were fewer than the 207,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting, according to a report from The Associated Press. Read Full Article
Iconic Coney Island maker Nathan’s Sold For $450 Million
SMITHFIELD, Va., (Globe Newswire) – Smithfield Foods, Inc., an American food company and an industry leader in value-added packaged meats and fresh pork, and Nathan’s Famous, Inc., announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for Smithfield Foods to acquire all of Nathan’s Famous’ issued and outstanding shares for $102.00 per share in cash, which represents an enterprise value of approximately $450 million. Read Full Article