Introducing

Sandy Batten

Sandy Batten has more than 30 years of experience analyzing industrial economies and financial markets and a wide range of experience across the financial services sector, government, and academia.   Before joining Haver Analytics, Sandy was a Vice President and Senior Economist at Citibank; Senior Credit Market Analyst at CDC Investment Management, Managing Director at Bear Stearns, and Executive Director at JPMorgan.   In 2008, Sandy was named the most accurate US forecaster by the National Association for Business Economics. He is a member of the New York Forecasters Club, NABE, and the American Economic Association.   Prior to his time in the financial services sector, Sandy was a Research Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Senior Staff Economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the US Treasury, and Economist at the International Monetary Fund. Sandy has taught economics at St. Louis University, Denison University, and Muskingun College. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in a wide range of academic publications. He has a B.A. in economics from the University of Richmond and a M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from The Ohio State University.  

Publications by Sandy Batten

• 

  USA| Apr 28 2022

  U.S. Unemployment Claims Fall

  • Initial claims fell 5,000 to 180,000.
  • Continued weeks claimed also eased to lowest in more than 50 years.
  • Insured unemployment rate retained record low of 1.0%.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Apr 27 2022

  U.S. Mortgage Applications Fall for Seventh Straight Week

  • Largest weekly decline since mid-February.
  • Meaningful declines in both purchase and refinancing applications.
  • Mortgage interest rates post significant weekly increases with 30-year rate rising to highest since mid-2009.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Apr 14 2022

  U.S. Initial Unemployment Claims Rose in Most Recent Week

  • Despite weekly increase, claims still around 50-year low.
  • Continued weeks claimed edged down to lowest level since March 1970.
  • Insured unemployment rate holds at record low.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Apr 13 2022

  U.S. Mortgage Applications Declined for Fifth Consecutive Week

  • Lowest level for total applications since March 2019.
  • Sharp decline in refinancing applications continued; purchase applications rose.
  • Rise in mortgage interest rates accelerated.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Apr 12 2022

  U.S. Small Business Optimism Declines for Third Month

  • Optimism fell to lowest level since April 2020.
  • Expectations of better business conditions in next six month plummeted to all-time low.
  • Inflation overtook labor quality as top concern.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 30 2022

  U.S. Q4 GDP Growth Revised Down Slightly in Third Estimate

  • Inventories made even larger contribution than in first two estimates.
  • Domestic demand growth revised down. Corporate profit growth slowed.
  • Price inflation unrevised at 40-year high.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 24 2022

  U.S. Current Account Deficit Narrowed Slightly in Q4

  • Third largest quarterly deficit on record.
  • Goods deficit widened to another record; services surplus widened slightly.
  • Largest annual deficit in 2021 on record.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 17 2022

  U.S. Philly Fed Index Surprises to Upside in March

  • Broad-based increases in component indexes.
  • Delivery times index surges after three monthly declines.
  • Prices paid rise to highest since 1979.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  Europe| Mar 16 2022

  U.S. Business Inventories Posted Another Solid Rise in January

  • Led again by a strong gain in retail inventories.
  • Sales post marked rebound after December decline.
  • Inventory-to-sales ratio drops to just a tick above all-time low.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 10 2022

  U.S. Unemployment Claims Rose in Latest Week

  • Increase a little larger than expected.
  • But claims continue to fluctuate around pre-pandemic levels.
  • Continued claims rose slightly but remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 08 2022

  U.S. Small Business Optimism Fell Again in February

  • Optimism fell for second consecutive month to lowest level since January 2021.
  • Inflation was a top concern with the net percent raising prices increasing to the highest level on record dating back to 1973.
  • Labor-market conditions remained historically very tight.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• 

  USA| Mar 01 2022

  U.S. Construction Spending Posted Solid Increase in January

  • Much larger-than expected gain in January with upward revisions to both December and November.
  • Led by private nonresidential construction.
  • Public sector construction rebounded after December drop.

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief