When a company releases its quarterly earnings, management is scored on how well actual performance lived up to published analyst expectations. Another layer to consider is its “whisper numbers.”

Following the most recent consumer price index report, stocks rallied pretty much across the board. Here's a list of macroeconomic factors that may cause reason for gratitude, plus what to watch out for this week.

It’s too soon for declaring victory over inflation. That's according to Fed speakers, who said as much at various events across the country. When the message comes out sounding so specific and so coordinated, it probably is.

While there is still some ambiguity built in, markets and policymakers still seem to have a very different view of the future direction of the federal funds rate, upon which mortgages, credit card rates and bank profitability rely for direction.

Stocks declined for a third straight month in October, and recently, we've detected what feels like a notable shift in sentiment among retail investors.

Even inaction can have a reaction: A handful of companies reported third quarter results that were just fine (great, even), but passed up the opportunity to issue upbeat guidance about the months ahead. Let's explore the impacts.

Markets have a habit of humbling investors by doing something unexpected. Today’s environment has provided plenty of reasons for market watchers to stop and scratch their heads quizzically.

Consumer sentiment dropped big, according to a University of Michigan report, owing in large part to stress over inflation. If the Fed suspects that higher inflation expectations are becoming entrenched in consumers' minds, the inflation-fighting equation will almost certainly change.  

The U.S. economy created 336,000 new jobs in September – roughly twice as many as economists expected. That labor-market tightness (coupled with decelerating but still too-hot wage growth) means that it’s probably too soon for the Fed to completely let down its guard with regard to inflation.

Get our perspective on interest rates, bonds in a diversified portfolio, and happenings on Capitol Hill in September's market recap.

The market’s lack of reaction to the government shutdown is by itself interesting for what it says about what matters to investors: Persistent fears that the U.S. economy is lurching its way toward recession. More on the shutdown, housing market and jobs report in this week's edition.

When Fed Chairman Jerome Powell continually warned that the Fed was more inclined to keep rates high longer than markets seemed to expect, investors didn’t really worry too much. Now, the market’s view that the Fed would probably start cutting rates sometime after New Year’s Day looks quite a bit more tenuous than it once did.