Justin Ho
Verified
As seen in:
Marketplace,
Apple Podcasts,
Medium,
Wiley Online Library,
Aol,
CBC News,
PLOS ONE,
Yahoo Finance,
Frontiers,
Substack,
Taylor & Francis Online
and
Reporter for @Marketplace
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Justin Ho
Rising rates are stressing out the riskiest companies
As the interest rates on government bonds rise, so do interest rates throughout the economy. That makes borrowing money more expensive for consumers, small businesses, and big corporations. But those interest rates don’t all rise at the same pace. Over the last few months, rates on a particular kind of corporate bond have been rising at an especially fast pace: bonds issued by companies that investors see as relatively risky. Those are the kind of bonds that already pay a lot of interest.
Midsize lenders thrived in the third quarter. Can it last?
Big banks reported their third-quarter earnings last week, and some reported weaker-than-expected revenue from their trading desks and from advising mergers and acquisitions — two lines of business that have been volatile this year. On Tuesday morning, midsize lenders like KeyCorp, Mercantile Bank, and Atlantic Union Bank — among other regional banks — turned in their reports. Regional banks don’t advise many big corporate deals or trade much the stock or bond market.
What will happen to the job market if the Fed raises interest rates?
The Federal Reserve has two objectives: minimize inflation and maximize employment. It pursues these goals at Federal Open Market Committee meetings — one of which will happen in a little over a week — where it can tinker with the interest rate. While the Fed might not raise interest rates at this meeting, it will certainly have to do so eventually to combat inflation.
It's tough to completely exclude energy prices from inflation calculations
It’s going to be a big week of inflation data. The Labor Department will release the latest consumer price index on Wednesday, the producer price index on Thursday, and the import price index on Friday. Whenever inflation reports come out, the numbers that get the most attention are the headline figures, which include food and energy prices. But let’s set those aside. Because when it comes to energy prices right now, “we don’t know a lot,” said Nicole Cervi, an economist with Wells Fargo.
Rising auto loan delinquencies reflect the K-shaped economy
We’ve been starting to see signs that some consumers are having trouble paying off their debt. Household delinquency rates are higher than they were last year and the year before, according to the New York Federal Reserve. Meanwhile, the number of auto loans that are more than three months overdue is at a level we haven’t seen since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Payments on auto loans have been coming in later and later at La Salle State Bank in Illinois.
Imports and inventories are rising. Does that mean the economy is strong?
Imports and inventory levels are rising, according to new trade data that came out on Tuesday morning. The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced that imports of goods and service rose 3.4% between July and August, and the Logistics Manager’s Index number rose to 70.2 in September, up from 66.6 in August, meaning that inventory levels expanded. Any rise in imports or inventory levels can indicate that the economy is strong, but who and what are fueling that demand matters, too.
What exactly are investors looking for in this week's government bond auctions?
The U.S. Department of the Treasury will auction off a round of new government debt this week. Three-year notes will sell on Tuesday, 10-year notes on Wednesday, and 30-year bonds on Thursday. A couple of weeks ago, the Treasury Department held an auction for two-, five-, and seven-year Treasurys. “Those auctions did not go particularly well,” said Winnie Cisar, global head of credit strategy at CreditSights.
As inflation stretches paychecks, some lenders report "late payment creep"
Earlier this week, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that in August, consumer spending rose more than 0.5%, even though people’s incomes were flat, after accounting for inflation. Meanwhile, some loan officers surveyed by the Federal Reserve recently reported that they’re seeing rising delinquencies among both households and businesses. At La Salle State Bank in Illinois, chief lending officer Chris Duncan said he’s been noticing some late payment creep in recent months.
How long can the economy keep growing?
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will release its third estimate of second quarter GDP on Wednesday. Its previous estimate said that the economy grew at a 1.5% annual rate in the second quarter, after growing at a 2.1% annual rate in the first. GDP is a measure of how much output the economy is producing, and the BEA tallies it by looking at who’s buying all of that output.
Job openings are up, especially in manufacturing and construction
Sep 28, 2026 Hiring in the services sector, on the other hand, isn’t quite as hot. Demand for construction jobs has been strong recently — and pushing up hourly wages in that sector. We are about to get hit with a deluge of labor market data. On Friday, the Labor Department will report how much hiring happened this month. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will report how much personal income grew in August.
Guidance over guidelines? Unpacking the uses and concerns of generative AI in communication science
?Mathematical formulae have been encoded as MathML and are displayed in this HTML version using MathJax in order to improve their display. Uncheck the box to turn MathJax off. This feature requires Javascript. Click on a formula to zoom. ABSTRACT The rapid adoption of generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) tools has transformed research practices across communication science.
SBA considers changing definition of a small business
Whether a business is considered “small” in the government’s eyes is pretty important. It determines whether the business is eligible for federal aid money and federal contracts. Now, the Small Business Administration is proposing some changes to how it defines “small business.” The government sets aside about a quarter of federal contracts for small businesses, including manufacturing jobs, service-sector work, and construction.
As banks consolidate, some customers aren’t so sure they’re happy
There were about 18,000 banks in this country back in 1986, 40 years ago. Today, there are just over 4,200. And over the past couple of years, the trend’s been picking up even more momentum. One reason is higher interest rates: banks are making more money, and when banks make more money, they often decide to acquire other banks. Plus, the Trump administration’s bank regulators have pretty much given mergers and acquisitions the green light.
Trade tensions between U.S. and China simmer ahead of Trump-Xi summit
China’s President Xi Jinping is headed to Washington this week to hold a summit with President Donald Trump. It’s the first time Xi has visited the U.S. since 2023, during the Biden administration. Safety concerns around artificial intelligence are expected to be a big topic of discussion, but there is still plenty of tension between the two countries over trade. It wasn’t too long ago that tariffs on Chinese goods were skyrocketing.
Rising rates mean Treasurys are worth less. That's putting pressure on banks
When bonds are paying so much interest right now, investors probably aren’t as excited about old bonds they may have bought last month or last year. That’s because every time yields on Treasurys go up, the value of existing bonds goes down. Investors who hold those older Treasurys that just aren’t worth as much will suffer the consequences. And banks tend to hold piles of them. The reason banks buy Treasurys in the first place is because they can’t just lend out all of their depositors’ money.
Why the gender pay gap holds back productivity
A U.S. Census Bureau report on how much income Americans pulled in last year, how much the median household income changed from 2024, and how that breaks down by race and gender, is scheduled to come out Sept. 15. One data point to keep an eye on is the wage gap between men and women, which has been widening since 2023.
Trucking costs are rising fast. That could mean even more inflation for consumers
The prices producers charge for goods and services rose 0.4% in August from the month before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index. Most of that increase can be traced to the rising cost of energy. Diesel costs were up more than 24% over the month. That, in turn, is fueling inflation in transportation and warehousing — the cost of trucking is up more than 14% from the same time a year ago, according to PPI data.
High oil prices are pushing up short-term bond yields
Oil prices topped $100 a barrel after the U.S. attacked several Iranian oil tankers on Wednesday. Prices haven’t surpassed that triple-digit milestone since July. The news wasn’t exactly well-received on Wall Street or the bond market. Yields on short-term Treasurys are rising in response. Wednesday morning, the yield on the 2-year Treasury hit its highest level since July 2024.
AI in banking: the good, the bad, and the efficient
Like so many other industries, the banking sector is figuring out how to navigate AI. And the stakes are high. The tech has raised red flags over potential bias, particularly when it comes to lending practices. But it could also make some banking operations more efficient, which would be especially valuable for smaller banks — which tend to operate with fewer resources than their bigger competitors but also offer more personal service, a connection to the local community, and typically lower fees.
Rising global bond yields will put pressure on U.S. interest rates, too
Bond buyers around the world have been demanding higher interest rates. Put another way: The price of bonds worldwide has been cratering. And when global bond markets are screaming bloody murder, it’s important to to listen — yes, I'm talking to you, American consumer! As interest rates rise around the world, they will rise here in the U.S., too. And right now, bond buyers around the world are demanding some of the highest rates in a generation.
Why the 'meh' job market hasn't slowed consumer spending much
It will be a week of labor market data: On Friday, the Labor Department will release its latest employment report covering new jobs, the unemployment rate, and wages. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey comes out Tuesday — that’s a report measuring labor demand and labor market churn. Economists expect more of the low-fire, low-hire labor market they’ve observed for months.
Will Fed Chair Warsh actually say anything in his big Friday speech?
Central bankers from around the world are heading to the mountains of Wyoming later this week for the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. The main event will be Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s speech on Friday. The Fed has often used the yearly event as a way to forecast its longer-term plans: how it’s thinking about the economy and interest rates, and whether it might change its approach to interest rate policy.
"Buying a house with a credit card": The Treasury's plan to finance the national debt
In all caps, right in the middle of The New York Times’ front page on Thursday, Aug. 20: “U.S. debt surges to $40 trillion.” Paying the interest on all of that debt is now the third-most expensive obligation the U.S. government has, behind Medicare and Social Security, and just ahead of national defense. This year, interest payments are on track to cost the government — and, by extension, every taxpayer — around a trillion dollars.
What happens when import prices skyrocket? More inflation, of course
There isn’t a whole lot of inflation data on the calendar this week. The most important inflation report — the one the Federal Reserve depends on — comes out next Wednesday, when the Bureau of Economic Analysis releases its personal consumption expenditures price index. But on Tuesday, new data came out on the price of imported goods. Those prices in July were down 0.4% from the month before, according to the Department of Labor — mostly thanks to lower fuel costs.
How data center construction is affecting the labor market
All of the data center construction that’s been happening over the last year has been pushing up demand for semiconductors, memory chips, and other electronics. It’s also pushing up demand for the labor needed to build these data centers. Up until last year, construction workers were not in high demand.
Manufacturing sector benefits from continued AI demand
Aug 4, 2026 Many manufacturers are also finding themselves with the need to restock, which also floats demand. “You’re seeing a lot of demand for engines, turbines, and power transmission equipment" to upgrade the power grid for AI data centers, said Bernard Yaros at Oxford Economics. Orders of durable goods picked up in June, according to new data from the Census Bureau.
Why term premiums on U.S. Treasurys have been rising
Aug 4, 2026 The extra premium that investors require to hold Treasurys over the long-term, known as a “term premium,” has been rising. Interest rates on both government bonds and corporate bonds have been going up to attract investors. When investors buy long-term government bonds, they like to be paid some extra yield to convince them to lock away their money for seven, 10, or even 30 years.
What's next for Fed interest rates? 3 economists weigh in
The Federal Open Market Committee meets this week to decide whether to adjust interest rates. Fed watchers expect the central bank will hold rates steady, and that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh will be a lot less loquacious than his predecessor. The Fed delivered a much shorter statement after Warsh’s first meeting in June, and Warsh said he’s scrapped what’s known as forward guidance — a brief summary of where members of the Fed’s leadership think rates are likely headed.
Rates on business loans have held steady, but they might climb soon
Bond yields have been all over the news this week. They’ve been rising recently — because of inflation, for one, and expectations that it will prompt the Fed to keep interest rates higher for longer. Plus , as Greg Ip told “Marketplace” on Thursday. All of that is important because bond yields affect the cost of all kinds of borrowing throughout the economy. The average rate on 30-year mortgages is at its highest in almost a year, according to the government-backed mortgage company Freddie Mac.
How small business owners are handling higher trucking costs
Even though are lower than they were at the start of the war in the Middle East, the effect that the conflict has had on energy prices is continuing to push up all kinds of other costs throughout the economy. One of those is the cost of transporting goods around the country. Last month, trucking rates were up almost 30% since the same time a year ago, according to DAT Freight & Analytics.
Regional bank earnings will tell us a lot about the health of the economy
The financial sector appears to be doing well in this uncertain economy. Big banks reported last week that they were raking it in during Q2, especially when it came to trading desk fees (thanks to the strong stock market) and investment banking (thanks to the big surge in IPOs and all of the bonds that companies have been issuing to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure). Over the next couple of weeks, several regional lenders are going to report earnings, too.
Rapidly rising producer prices could spell trouble for the economy
A whole bunch of inflation data comes out this week, because the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out its inflation reports in pairs: the consumer price index, followed by the producer price index. The CPI is easy to understand: It measures how much consumers are paying for stuff. PPI is a little more complex.
How AI investment is fueling the broader economy
Later this month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will report how much the economy grew in the second quarter. If it’s anything like the first quarter, the data will show us that the economy is being increasingly fueled by investment in artificial intelligence: all of the spending that goes into building data centers, along with all of the other technology that powers AI. It has been a while since there has been this much spending from the tech sector.
Why public companies have been on a tear issuing new shares
Starting Thursday, reports will come out about how publicly-traded companies did in the second quarter of the year that ended in June. Profits should be pretty good. That’s mostly thanks to a resilient economy — and it’s happening despite a whole bunch of geopolitical uncertainty. Corporations have also been issuing a whole lot of new equity, selling brand-new shares in their companies to raise capital. Up until this year, they were hesitant to do that.
Why labor force participation has been trending lower for years
Thursday’s June jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics painted a less-than-optimal picture. The economy added 57,000 new jobs (which was much lower than expected) and wage growth picked up a little (but it’s still not keeping up with inflation). It also demonstrated an ongoing trend in the job market — namely, that fewer people are participating in it.
How the widening gender wage gap drags down the whole economy
Jun 30, 2026 The gender wage gap has been widening for several years, after it narrowed at the start of the pandemic. That’s a drag on the entire economy. “Care work is probably the biggest constraint that women face,” said Rutgers professor Yana Rodgers. “So they’re just not as able to respond to opportunities in the labor market as men.” We’re going to get the government’s official employment tally for June in a couple of days.
High energy prices only partly to blame for soaring shipping costs
Rising fuel costs , even when you strip out the volatile costs of energy and food. Transportation costs are one of those vectors. Over the past four months, the cost of shipping a container full of goods across the Pacific Ocean has risen from around $1,800 to nearly $4,200, according to the shipping company Freightos. Fuel costs are a major component of container shipping rates. When the war in the Middle East started and oil prices rose, ocean carriers started passing on those costs.
It's not just food and energy — "core" inflation is up as well
The prices everybody paid for goods and services in May were 4.1% higher than they were at same time last year, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ personal consumption expenditures price index. That’s a faster year-over-year pace than in April. Naturally, a good chunk of that inflation was thanks to the cost of energy. The price of a barrel of oil has been falling since the start of this month: It's now down about $25.
Oil prices are coming down, but Wall Street says inflation risk is still high
Since the war in the Middle East began, one narrative on Wall Street has suggested that elevated oil prices could indicate we’re headed toward higher inflation. But over the last few days, a new narrative seems to be taking hold: lower oil prices are going to lead to more consumption. And that heightened consumption could also mean higher inflation. Earlier in the war, when a barrel of oil cost $25 more than it does today, markets worried about inflation caused by a tight supply of oil.
Newer, Larger, Better? A Critique of the Unreflective LLM Adoption in Communication Research
Large language models research methods APA Author BIBTEX Harvard Standard RIS Vancouver
Latest Treasury auctions show investors expect a few years of inflation
The Treasury Department has been auctioning off a lot of long-term government debt this week. It held an auction for 30-year bonds Thursday, June 11, after selling off a batch of 10-year T-notes on Wednesday. These auctions give us a look at the interest rate investors want to be paid in exchange for lending the government money for years or even decades. U.S. Treasurys are the gold standard for government debt. Investors from around the world always show up to Treasury auctions to load up on bonds.
May CPI shows inflation hit a 3-year high. Is there good news?
The latest consumer price index report showed inflation hit a 3-year high in May. But there are also signs in it that inflation is still contained. Core inflation — which excludes the prices of food and energy, two categories that can swing up and down wildly — actually slowed down between April and May. To be clear, any kind of inflation is discouraging.
Foreign trade zones helped companies avoid tariffs. That's changed under Trump.
Companies have been able to mitigate some of the costs and uncertainty caused by the president’s tariffs by seeking shelter in foreign trade zones. They’re specially-designated areas, typically near ports and airports, that are legally considered to be outside of U.S. customs territory. Historically, FTZs have allowed companies to import tariff-free and then use those imports to manufacture products with lower tariff rates, or even none at all.
A declining personal income measure is bad news for the economy
The number of job openings went up in April, according to Tuesday morning’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, from the Labor Department. That number is the highest its been in almost two years. The U.S. government’s official employment tally for the month of May, to be released on Friday, will reveal more about the state of the job market.
Futures markets expect the price of oil to fall in the medium-to-long term
The yield curve — basically, comparing the interest rates for short-, medium-, and long-term government bonds — can tell a lot about what investors expect to happen across each of those time frames. Oil futures work in a similar way. These are bets that the price of oil will be a certain amount at the end of a certain month. That could be next month, next year, or even a little over a decade from now. The market for actual physical barrels of oil is complicated.
Manufacturing is strong, consumers are a bit shaky, Chicago Fed says
The big economic data release of the week is coming out Thursday, when the Labor Department releases its personal consumption expenditures index. It’s the measure focused on consumer spending and is the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation. The 12 regional Federal Reserve banks also put out reports of their own.
Manufacturing's strong, consumers are a bit shaky, Chicago Fed says
The big economic data release of the week is coming out on Thursday, when the Labor Department releases its personal consumption expenditures index. It’s the measure focused on consumer spending and is the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation. The 12 regional Federal Reserve banks also put out reports of their own. And on Tuesday, the Chicago Fed put out its National Activity Index. It’s painting a mixed picture of the economy: Manufacturing output doesn’t look bad.
Skyrocketing tungsten prices bruise U.S. manufacturers
Tungsten is a metal that’s incredibly important to all kinds of industries — especially manufacturers that need to cut other kinds of metal. Most of the tungsten used in the U.S. comes from China, which controls roughly 80% of the world’s supply. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have hit the tungsten market hard. The price of the metal has shot up 300% over the past year or so, according to the CRU Group.
Fed leaders give a lot of speeches. The central bank's new chair may change that
Several leaders of the Federal Reserve gave public statements on Tuesday: Fed governor Christopher Waller, Philadelphia Fed president Anna Paulson, and Atlanta Fed Interim President Cheryl Venable. We’re going to hear from a couple more Fed officials over the next few days. But soon, that could slow down. Incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh is likely to make some changes to the central bank’s communication style.
Inflation is making government debt more expensive
Rising recent inflation numbers have been spooking bond markets. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.47% on Wednesday. In fact, yields on government bonds have been rising for more than two months now. Treasury yields affect all kinds of consumer lending, but the amount they rise can also reveal a lot about what investors expect in the short term and over the long run.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Justin
Contact Justin, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack