Equity markets are rallying on Friday over optimism regarding the U.S.-China trade discussions. President Trump is set to meet this afternoon with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, and that has many thinking some type of truce or at least a pause in the trade dispute could be in the works.

Don’t forget, China bought $1.5 billion worth of U.S. soybeans in August, the most since January 2018 when the trade dispute started. It is likely China could buy more in exchange for a delay in current tariffs set to hit October 15.

“If we’ve learned anything from trade discussions over the past 21 months, it is thing

Consumer prices grew at the fastest pace of the cycle for a second straight month in September.

As shown in the LPL Chart of the Day, the core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.4% year over year last month. Consumer prices increased at a healthy pace, even as year-over-year growth in the core Producer Price Index (PPI) declined for an eighth straight month.

We have yet to see slowing producer price growth weigh down consumer inflation, likely because U.S. companies still have ample pricing power amid solid domestic consumer demand.

“Consumer inf

The United States and China have faced growing economic pressure to reach a trade deal. However, the stress may be fading for one party.

As shown in LPL Research’s Chart of the Day, China’s economy is exhibiting signs of stabilizing growth, according to composite leading indicators (CLI) data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD’s assessment of the Chinese economy improved for a sixth straight month in August, while the OECD’s U.S. gauge continued to slip.

To be sure, the OECD’s leading indicators gauge shows that both the United