Luke is Chief Economist and Head of Asset Allocation and Quantitative Services for Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors (WTIA), a part of the M&T Bank family. Luke is also a member of WTIA’s Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Wilmington Trust in 2015, Luke was an officer and economic advisor with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Earlier in his career, Luke worked as a senior economist at IHS Global Insight (now IHS Markit) and as an economist for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Luke holds a Ph.D. in economics from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from James Madison University. He is a former adjunct faculty member at Temple University and formerly served on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Economic Association. In addition, Luke is former president of the Philadelphia Council for Business Economics, a chapter of the National Association for Business Economics.
Rhea Thomas, Senior Economist, Wilmington Trust Investment AdvisorsMay 7, 2021—Markets were abuzz at 8:29 Friday morning ahead of the jobs report with official consensus forecasts of 1 million new jobs added in the month of April and “whisper expectations” (whatever those are) of 1.5 million. At 8:30 those expectations were thoroughly dashed upon the announcement of just 266,000 new jobs added and downward revisions to previous months.
March 19, 2021—All’s quiet (for now) on the inflationary front. While we project a lift in the next few months, take it with a grain of salt, as the year-over-year comparison is to a pandemic-induced economic shutdown. Down the road, we anticipate higher inflation approaching 3%, but risk is to the upside—as we expect an improving economy and a largely vaccinated nation back in stores, with money in their pockets.
March 16, 2021—Inflation is on the minds and lips of everyone these days, and the just-signed stimulus package is increasing those concerns. Vaccine deployment is picking up, COVID-19 cases are down, spending is accelerating, and the nation is clamoring to enjoy the outdoors and one another in a way we haven’t in a full year. With the passage and signing of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) last week, we have growing conviction of strong economic growth in 2021.
February 12, 2021—What a difference a few weeks can make. In mid-January after announcing his stimulus plan, there seemed to be a 50/50 chance of President Biden seeking bipartisanship in getting 10 Republican Senators on board, or the (allegedly) more challenging route of budget reconciliation, which only requires 50 votes but puts limits on the actions that can be taken.
November 30—How has the pandemic impacted inflation rates and our inflation forecast as we inch closer to a post-COVID environment? Tony is joined by Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors Chief Economist Luke Tilley for a discussion about the importance of inflation as an economic and market indicator.Please listen to important disclosures at the end of the podcast.
