WEEKLY BUSINESS ROUNDUP

Global Business Week: How the Global Distribution of Wealth Has Changed (2000–2023)?

The state of Financial markets & Economies, Weekly Charts, Business Trends & Statistics

The shortened holiday week on Wall Street was dominated by discussions of “tariffs” and “inflation.” Despite some concerns over both, U.S. equities managed to secure a second consecutive weekly gain, with the benchmark S&P 500 closing at a record high. Investors got a preview of potential policies under Donald Trump’s second administration, as the President-elect announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

Additionally, he proposed a 10% tax on products from China, on top of any existing tariffs. Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, traders analyzed a slew of economic data. This included an unrevised estimate of U.S. Q3 GDP growth at 2.8% and October’s core personal consumption expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — which came in slightly elevated.

The data signaled that inflation remains a key concern for the Fed. Minutes from the Fed’s November monetary policy meeting revealed that policymakers are considering a pause in rate cuts if inflation remains stubbornly high. For the…