The Brief

September 20, 2023 | R. Matthew Lauer


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Our summary of today's key developments in the global economy and markets.

The Brief

Financial Markets and IPOs

  • Instacart had a successful IPO, with its stock surging 12% on its NASDAQ debut and achieving a valuation of over $11 billion. Co-founder Apoorva Mehta's fortune now stands at $1.1 billion.

  • Amazon plans to hire 250,000 workers for the holiday season, reflecting optimism about the upcoming shopping season. The company intends to raise the average pay for logistics personnel to around $20.50 per hour.

  • US stocks and bonds experienced declines as the Federal Reserve began its two-day meeting.

  • US housing starts have reached their lowest level since June 2020.

  • Microsoft mistakenly uploaded confidential game plans to a federal court site.

  • FTX has sued Sam Bankman-Fried's parents to recover millions of dollars.

Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy

  • The Federal Reserve is expected to pause interest rate hikes, focusing on the dot plot for future policy clues.

  • PIMCO warns that markets may underestimate the risks of another Fed rate hike and a recession.

Inflation and Economic Indicators

  • Canadian inflation surprised on the upside, particularly in core inflation, which has implications for the country's monetary policy and interest rates.

  • Britain's inflation rate unexpectedly dropped to an 18-month low, leading to uncertainty about a Bank of England rate hike. The pound weakened in response.

  • US oil stockpiles fell significantly, potentially reaching their lowest level in over nine months.

  • There are concerns about rising inflation and potential economic consequences.

Global Bond Yields

  • Yields on government bonds, driven by improved economic growth prospects, have reached levels not seen since the Global Financial Crisis.

  • Some suggest it might be a good time to buy government bonds due to the inverted yield curve.


Works Cited on Monday, September 20, 2023: Bloomberg L.P. and John Authers and Isabelle Lee, Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Daily Shot Research authored by Lev Borodovsky ©. ChatGPT, an AI software developed by OpenAI for summarizing articles.