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What We Are Following in the News

Despite relatively flat hiring projections for the Class of 2026, new data offers some good news for those who do manage to get hired: Starting salaries are expected to rise for almost every major. https://buff.ly/xWXBCGR

We need to talk about cars. Prices are at record highs, more loans are going bad. The average price is now above $50,000. https://buff.ly/OazENOm

Fourth Quarter GDP Growth Estimate Decreased. On February 18, the GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 is 3.6 percent, down from 3.7 percent on February 10.

Average US tax refunds increased by more than $200 this year compared with last, two weeks into the annual filing season, offering an early snapshot of an income wave the Trump administration is counting on. https://buff.ly/V42wJJb

We are seeing a growing number of articles/papers discussing the potential impacts on retail activity due to infusion of AI. This opinion piece from Bloomberg discusses an age of chatbots selecting and buying goods for people. https://buff.ly/NpGG3Lh

New orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down two of the last three months, decreased $4.6 billion or 1.4 percent to $319.6 billion. December 2025: -1.4° % Change November 2025 (r): +5.4° % Change