Commentary Archive

December 2004
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Down
30 Help-Wanted Advertising At Series' Low
30 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Fell
29 U.S. Existing Home Sales Up To Record High
29 Mortgage Applications Down
28 Improved Assessment of Job Market Raised Consumer Confidence
28 Strong Ending to Holiday Season Raised Chain Store Sales
23 Income, Services Flows Widen UK Current Account in Q3
23 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Rebounded
23 U.S. Personal Income Rebounded
23 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Rose Throughout December
23 New Home Sales Softer
23 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Bounced Up
22 German IFO Improves in December
22 US 3Q GDP Revised Up
22 Total Mortgage Applications Unchanged but Refi's Rose
21 Italian Consumers More Pessimistic in December
21 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Down: Above Trend Growth Still Suggested
21 Chain Store Sales Helped by Lower Gasoline Prices
20 Brazil Posts a Current Account Deficit in November, but Should Record a Big Surplus for the Year
20 Leading Indicators Gain First in Six Months
17 Argentina Recovery Continues
17 Consumer Prices Tame, As Expected
17 Gasoline Prices, Down in November, Fell Further in December
16 Japan Financing Trends Remain Favorable, Despite Q3 Decline
16 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Improved
16 Housing Starts Fell Sharply
16 U.S. Current Account Deficit Deepened
16 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Dropped Sharply
15 Japan "TANKAN" Eases in Q4, but Still Better Than Forecast
15 OECD Leaders Declined For Third Month
15 Empire State Index Jumped
15 Mortgage Applications Slip
14 FOMC Raised Funds Rate to 2.25%
14 Manpower Index of US Hiring Intentions Remained Firm
14 Small Business Optimism At 20 Year High
14 U.S. Trade Deficit a Deeper Than Expected Record in October
14 Industrial Production Up But Gains Slow
14 The Holiday Spirit Found? Chain Store Sales Recover
13 British Manufacturers Expect Lower Volume of Output but Order Books and Expected Prices Improve
13 U.S. Retail Sales Up
13 U.S. Inventories Rose Slightly
10 Turkish GDP Falls, but Inflation Below 10% for a Second Quarter
10 PPI Boosted by Energy & Food, Core As Expected
10 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Rebounded in December
9 Households' Net Worth Improved Further 
9 Import Prices Firmer Than Expected in November
9 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Rose Again
8 Revisions Bring Modestly Lower Japanese GDP Growth; Data Now Chain-Linked, Rebased to 2000
8 JOLTS: Job Openings & Hires Up in the US
8 Mortgage Applications Bounce Up
7 German Investor Confidence Stops Falling After Four Months of Decline
7 U.S. Productivity Growth Little Revised for 3Q
7 Chain Store Sales Slumped Further
7 Challenger Layoff Count Rose Further
6 German New Orders for Manufacturing Increase in October but Sales Lag
6 Commodity Prices Higher
3 November Has Average Temperature in US, But Lots of Rain
3 U.S. Job Growth Disappointing in November
3 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Rose
2 German Unemployment Up; Spain's Comes Down
2 US Factory Orders & Shipments Recover
2 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Lower
2 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Jumped
1 European Manufacturing Slows; Oil Price & Strong Euro Blamed
1 ISM Factory Index Up
1 U.S. Personal Income Rebounded
1 U.S. Construction Spending Flat Again in October
1 Mortgage Applications Down Further
November 2004
30 A Spate of New Data from Japan:  Most of It Disappointing
30 US 3Q GDP Revised Up, Corporate Profits Fell
30 Chain Store Sales Very Disappointing During Thanksgiving Week
30 Consumer Confidence Down Again
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Fell, Employment Strong
29 Denmark's GDP Third Quarter Growth Slowed by Decline in the Foreign Trade Balance
24 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Faded Late Month
24 New Home Sales Higher Still
24 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Fell
24 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Fell Unexpectedly
24 Mortgage Applications Plunged
24 Help-Wanted Advertising Up Slightly
24 SUV Demand Drives Up Energy Prices?
23 Chile Reports Third Quarter Growth of Almost 7%
23 U.S. Existing Home Sales Remained High
23 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Improved Sharply
23 Chain Store Sales Recover
22 Taiwan Shows Good Growth in the Third Quarter:  Consumer and Wholesale Price Increases Suggest Deflation May Soon Be a Thing of the Past 
22 ECRI U.S. Leading Index Moved Up
19 Chain-Linking Comes to Japan's GDP Accounts
19 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Eased
18 Unemployment Rates Down in Hong Kong & Sweden
18 Leading Indicators Down Again
18 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Fell
17 Net Foreign Purchases of Securities in US Market Increase in September; Japanese Pullback Offset by UK, Others
17 Consumer Prices Strong
17 Industrial Production Firm
17 Housing Starts Stronger Than Expected
17 Mortgage Applications Rise on Higher Refis
16 Oil Prices Largely Responsible for Small Rise in Inflation in the United Kingdom
16 Producer Prices Surge, Core Strong
16 Chain Store Sales Off
15 The Weak Dollar Likely to Be High on the Agenda at the Meeting of the Finance Ministers of the Group of 20 This Weekend
15 Empire State Index Gain Light
15 U.S. Inventories Up Slightly
12 Japanese GDP Slower with 0.1% Increase. Haver Databases Updated Faster with New "Asian Shift"
12 U.S. Retail Sales Gain
12 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Recovered Further
11 Home Price Appreciation Varies
11 German Growth Slows in Q3;  Netherlands and Spain See Improvement
10 Federal Funds Rate Raised to 2.0%
10 Slovakia Employment Firms in September; Former Soviet-Bloc Nations Show Irregular Progress 15 Years Later
10 A Shallower U.S. Trade Deficit in September
10 Import Price Gain All Oil
10 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Ticked Up
10 Mortgage Applications Falter
9 A Mixed Bag of Data from Germany: The ZEW Index of Expectation Down Sharply, Employment and Prices Higher
9 Small Business Optimism Backpedaled
9 US Consumers Went Shopping At Chain Stores
8 US Dollar Decline Beginning to Affect Foreign Exchange Reserves
8 OECD Leaders Continued Sideways
5 Employment Gains in Canada, Too; Unemployment Rate Stays Flat
5 U.S. Job Growth Strong, Revisions Positive
4 Consumer Prices Quiescent in Chile, but Wholesale Prices Surge
4 U.S. Productivity Growth Slowed From Strengthened 2Q Pace
4 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Fell As Truck Rebates Ended
4 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Down
3 Employment Situation Shows Signs of Stabilization in Major European Economies
3 ISM Non-manufacturing Index Rebounded
3 US Factory Orders & Shipments Down
3 Challenger Layoffs Remained High
3 Mortgage Applications Jumped
2 The Disappointing Trend in German Retail Sales Continues 
2 U.S. Chain Store Sales Down For Third Week
1 Australian Exports Continue Trend Toward More Asian Orientation and Commodity Prices Reflect Relative Demands of Non-agricultural vs.  Agricultural Commodities
1 U.S. Personal Income Gain Light
1 ISM Factory Index Slipped Unexpectedly
1 U.S. Construction Spending Down in September
October 2004
29 People's Bank of China Raises Lending Rate; Removes Cap on Bank Rates in Major Monetary Policy Shift
29 3Q US GDP Light at 3.7%
29 3Q'04 Employment Cost Index Up 0.9%
29 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Recovered After Early October Slump
29 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Highest Since 1988
28 French Industry Noticeably More Optimistic, Unlike Neighbors
28 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Rose
28 Help-Wanted Advertising Down Again
28 New Home Sales Higher Again
27 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Turn Up, Helped by Machinery & Computers
26 Pessimism Among U. K. Manufacturers Rises in the Fourth Quarter
26 Consumer Confidence Down Sharply
26 Gasoline Above $2.00/gal. & Crude Oil Topped $50/bbl.
26 U.S. Chain Store Sales Down Again
25 Germany's Ifo Index Surprises With a Small Improvement
25 U.S. Existing Home Sales Rebounded
25 ECRI U.S. Leading Index Flat Since July
22 Nat'l Activity Index Negative: Chicago Fed
21 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Drop Suggests Labor Market Firmed
21 Leading Indicators Down Again
21 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Rebounded
21 Mass Layoffs Plunge Again
21 UK Retail Sales Strong in September, But Trend Moderates
20 Canadian Leading Indicators Rise, But More Slowly
20 Mortgage Applications Rebounded
19 September Industrial Production in Poland Up Strongly:  Increases in Production in the New European Union Member Countries Outpace That of the Euro-Zone
19 Consumer Prices Rose Moderately: Used Car Prices Firm
19 Housing Starts Down More Than Expected
19 Housing Market Index Recovered  
19 U.S. Chain Store Sales Slipped
18 Employment in Japan Beginning to Show Improvement: Wage Growth Still Erratic 
18 U.S. Inventories Accumulate Further
15 Petroleum Imports Hit French Current Account
15 U.S. Consumer Spending Firm
15 Finished Producer Prices Up Slightly
15 Empire State Index Dropped
15 Industrial Production Disappointing, Factory Output Down Broadly
15 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Plunged
15 FY 2004 U.S. Budget Complete
14 New Japanese Consumer Confidence Survey Shows Confidence Down in September, But Still Much Higher than Last Few Years
14 U.S. Trade Deficit Deepened in August
14 Import Prices Up Just 0.2%
14 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Rose
13 Japanese Current Account Widens with Service and Income Flows as Well as Trade
13 Mortgage Applications Plunge Despite Lower Rates
12 Investor Confidence in Germany Plunges:  Does It Portend Worse to Come or Does It Reflect What Is Happening?
12 Small Business Optimism Rebounded
12 U.S. Chain Store Sales Recovered Further
11 Gross Domestic Product in Singapore Declines 2.3% in Third Quarter
11 Consumer Credit Usage Weak But Total Liabilities Strong
8 September CPI Trends Diverge Among Four Central Europe, Latin American Countries
8 U.S. Job Creation Disappointing in September, Hurricane Effects Small
7 More Jobs in Australia; Unemployment Still Low
7 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Fell Despite Hurricane Jeanne
6 German Factory Orders Decline in August, but Hold Double-Digit Gains over Year-Ago Volume
6 Mortgage Applications Flat
5 Unemployment Rate in Germany Hits 10.7%, the Highest Level Since February 1999
5 ISM Non-manufacturing Index Down Unexpectedly
5 Challenger Layoffs Surged
5 U.S. Chain Store Sales Rebounded Some
4 Diverse Trends in the Volume of Retail Sales Among European Countries
4 Stronger Trucks Drove U.S. Light Vehicle Sales
4 US Factory Shipments & Inventories Strong
1 Flat ISM Factory Index As Expected
1 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Down
1 U.S. Construction Spending Up
1 Japan "TANKAN" Better Than Forecast for Q3
September 2004
30 French Industry's Outlook Improves
30 U.S. Personal Income Up Moderately
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Rebounded
30 Help-Wanted Advertising Remained Depressed
30 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Again Raised by Hurricanes
29 Canadian Industrial Product Prices Appear to Peak Out Following Surges in Petroleum & Metals
29 2Q US GDP Growth Revised Higher
29 Again, Lower Rates Raised Mortgage Refinancing
28 Dutch Consumer Confidence Falls Slightly While Producer Confidence Rises Slightly: Both Are Well Above the Lows of 2003
28 Consumer Confidence Down
28 U.S. Chain Store Sales Again Battered By A Hurricane
28 Gasoline Prices Up as Crude Oil Nears $50 per Barrel
27 Germany Business Confidence Falls Slightly in September: Retailers Particularly Pessimistic 
27 New Home Sales Higher
24 UK "Engineering" Orders Gain in July; Home Market More Stable than Export Demand
24 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Down: Aircraft Orders Quite Volatile
24 Mass Layoffs Plunge
24 U.S. Existing Home Sales Fell A Second Month
23 New Zealand Current Account Deteriorates in Q2
23 Leading Indicators Down Again
23 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Lower in August
23 Hurricanes Lifted Claims for Jobless Insurance
22 South Africa Current Account Has Record Deficit in Q2
22 Lower Rates Spur Mortgage Refinancing
21 FOMC Raised Funds Rate for Third Time
21 Another Sign of a Good Third Quarter for Canada: Strong Retail Sales Growth in July
21 August Housing Starts At Year's High
21 Housing Market Index Backpedaled 
21 Hurricane Ivan Battered U.S. Chain Store Sales
20 Employment in Hong Kong Continues to Shift from Manufacturing and Construction to Services 
20 ECRI U.S. Leading Index Down
17 Canadian Consumer Prices Fall in August
17 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Little Changed
17 US Flow of Funds: Households' Net Worth Rose
16 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Down, Components Up
16 Cross-Currents in Asian Labor Markets
16 Consumer Price Inflation Under Wraps
16 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Up
15 Japan: Demand for Credit "Less Weak" in Q2
15 Industrial Production Up Slightly, Factory Output Firm
15 Empire State Index Rebounded Strongly in September
15 U.S. Inventory Accumulation Raised Output
15 Mortgage Applications Slipped
14 ZEW Index Puts a Dampener on Germany's Third Quarter Prospects
14 Home Prices Firm
14 U.S. Current Account Deficit Another Record
14 U.S. Retail Spending Lackluster
14 Manpower Index of US Hiring Intentions Remained Firm
14 Small Business Optimism Fell in August
14 U.S. Chain Store Sales Ticked Higher
13 Will China's Rising Inflation Put Pressure on Monetary Authorities To Revalue the Yuan?
13 OECD Leaders Broadly Stalled
10 Canadian Employment Situation Little Changed in August
10

U.S. Trade Deficit Still Near The Record in July
10 Finished Producer Prices Decline
9 Brazil Industrial Production Adds 0.5% in July, Extending Recovery
9 Import Prices Spike Higher
9 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Dropped Sharply
8 Mixed Fortunes for European Industry
8 U.S. Budget Deficit Estimates Updated
8 Challenger Layoffs Up Again in the U.S.
8 U.S. Chain Store Sales Little Changed
8 Low Mortgage Rates Stimulate Borrowing in U.S.
8 JOLTS July Update: US Hiring Improved But Slower
7 German Industrial  Production and New Orders Rise in July
7 Mass Layoffs Up
7 JOLTS Indicates Improved Hiring in the US
3 Euro-Zone Services Activity Maintains Steady Growth
3 ISM Nonmanufacturing Index Slipped
3 U.S. Job Growth Recovered Some, Unemployment Rate Fell
2 German Labor Market Remains in the Doldrums
2 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Fell in August
2 Factory Inventories Up
2 U.S. Productivity & Unit Labor Cost Growth Revised Down, Corporate Costs Up
2 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Again Raised Hurricane Charley
1 Global Manufacturing Growth Pauses in August; Output Prices Firming  
1 ISM Factory Index Fell About As Expected
1 Mortgage Applications Down
August 2004
31 Second Quarter GDP Growth in Canada Accelerates
31 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Down
31 Consumer Confidence Fell Sharply
31 Gasoline, Crude Oil & Natural Gas Prices Down
31 U.S. Chain Store Sales Slip
30 Australia's Capital Inflows Continue to Support the Australian Dollar
30 U.S. Personal Income Sluggish. Farmers' Income Fell, Wages OK
27 Japanese Unemployment Rises in July, But So Does Employment; Signs of Recovery Ambiguous
27 Foreign Trade Drag Reduced 2Q US GDP Growth, Domestic Corporate Profits Slower But Firm
27 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Up Through August
26 British Industry Continues Improvement, but German Expectations Weaken
26 Help-Wanted Advertising Slipped
26 Hurricane Charley Lifted Initial Jobless Claims
25 Brazil Maintains Record Range for Current Account Surplus
25 Surge In Aircraft Lifts U.S. Durable Goods Orders
25 New Home Sales Weaken
25 Mortgage Applications Down
24 Are Welfare and Labor Reforms Affecting Domestic Demand in Germany?
24 Existing Home Sales Down
24 Chain Store Sales Soft
23 Deflation in Hong Kong Coming to an End?
23 ECRI Leading Indicators Soft
20 Energy Prices Rise as World Demand Increases, But US Energy Efficiency Alleviates Some Impact
19 Leading Indicators Fell
19 Philadelphia Fed Index Moderates, But Still Strong Historically
19 Initial Jobless Claims Edge Lower Again
18 Mortgage Applications Reach Highest in 3 Months
17 ZEW Index of Investor Sentiment in Germany
17 Industrial Production Increases Less than Expected, But Factories Regain Some Vigor
17 July Housing Starts Reverse June Drop
17 CPI Falls 0.1% in July; "Core" Also Weak
16 The Netherlands' Second Quarter Decline in GDP --A  Result of Statistical Errors?
16 Housing Market Index Bounces Back
16 Net Foreign Purchases of Securities in US Markets Gain in June as Sales Fall
16 Empire State Index Slows 23 Points for August
13 Steady Growth in European GDP; Japanese Figure Disappoints
13 Big Gain in Chinese Retail Sales
13 U.S. Trade Deficit A New Record
13 Finished Producer Prices Tame, But Crude Prices Soar
13 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Down on Reduced Expectations
12 U.S. Retail Sales Up
12 Import Prices Up Slightly
12 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Slip Again
12 GDP Gains Continue in Germany, France; Netherlands Growth Pauses
11 OECD Leaders Again Flat
11 Small Business Optimism Recovered
11 Crude Oil Prices Surge, Gasoline Prices Dip
10 German Trade Balance Declines In June But Is Up Substantially For The Quarter
10 FOMC Raised Interest Rates Again
10 U.S. Productivity Growth Surprisingly Strong in 2Q
10 Chain Store Sales Inch Higher
9 U.K. Producer Prices Up Sharply in July: Further Interest Rate Increase in September?
9 June Machinery Orders in Japan Point to Continued Expansion in the Economy
6 U.S. Payroll Growth Weak, Slowdown Widespread
5 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Down
4 European Retail Sales Rebound in June; New Accession Countries Show Vigorous Trend
4 July U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Rebounded
4 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Recovered, Employment Index Down Sharply
4 Factory Inventories Up, Bottlenecks Are Few
4 Mortgage Applications Slipped
3 U.S. Personal Income Growth Slowed
3 Challenger Layoffs Up A Bit
3 Chain Store Sales Up Again
2 Global Manufacturing Performance Improves in July
2 ISM Factory Index Recovered in July
2 U.S. Construction Spending Dipped
July 2004
30 2Q GDP Growth Slowed, Inflation Up
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Recovered
30 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Up
30 Help-Wanted Advertising Still Stalled
29 2Q'04 Employment Cost Index As Expected
29 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Tick Up
28 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Up But Below Projections
28 Mortgage Applications Tick Up
27 Consumer Confidence Rose Further
27 New Home Sales Off Slightly
27 Chain Store Sales Up Again
26 June Department Store Sales in Japan Suggest Deflation Continues
26 Existing Home Sales Another Record High
23 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Backpedaled in June
23 Gasoline & Crude Oil Prices Up
23 Mass Layoffs Bounce Up
22 Leading Indicators Fell
22 Initial Claims For Unemployment Insurance Down
21 Demographic Shifts in Japan
21 Consumer's 1Q Debt Service Burden Lower, But ...
21 Mortgage Applications Slump
20 India's Trade Deficit Sets a Record in June
20 Housing Starts Fell Sharply
20 Housing Market Index Dipped
20 Chain Store Sales Ticked Higher
19 German & Swiss PPI Rise Modestly; Inflation Potential Unclear
19 Stock Market Rise Rebuilt Wealth
16 Foreign Purchases of U.S. Securities Ease in May Amid Wide Volatility
16 CPI Rose Slightly More Than Expected
16 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Edged Higher
15 Brazil's Retail Sales Up 10% in May
15 Producer Prices Fell Unexpectedly
15 U.S. Industrial Production Fell
15 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Rebounded
15 Philadelphia Fed Index Up
15 Empire State Index Up To Five Month High
15 U.S. Business Inventories Continue Accumulation
14 CPI Inflation Still Restrained in Several Countries
14 U.S. Retail Sales Pause
14 Import Prices Slipped
14 Mortgage Applications Backpedal
13 Inflation as Measured by Harmonized Indexes of Consumer Prices (HICP) Rises in the United Kingdom, France and Spain 
13 U.S. Trade Deficit Eased
13 Small Business Optimism Fell Again
13 Chain Store Sales Unchanged
12 A Mixed Picture of Industrial Production Trends Outside the United States 
12 OECD Leaders Wobble
9 China's Industrial Production "Slows" to 16.2% Growth
9 Manufacturers Expect Improved Growth: Profits Firm
8 EuroCOIN Indicator Points to Firm Q2 Growth in Europe
8 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Dropped Sharply
7 German Factory Orders Gain Further, Pushed by Foreign Demand
7 Chain Store Sales Firmed
7 Mortgage Applications Jumped As Rates Fell
6 Price Rises Beginning to Accelerate in Pacific Rim Countries 
6

ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Down, Employment At Record High
6 Challenger Layoffs Lowest In A Year
2 Global Manufacturing Growth Plateaus in June
2 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Weak Last Month
2 Factory Inventory Accumulation Hitting a Stride
2 U.S. Job Growth Took A Breather In June
1 Japanese Industry Improves Further in Q2
1 Initial Claims Unemployment Insurance Stable
June 2004
30 FOMC Raised Interest Rates; 1st Time Since May 2000
30 Interconnected Global Labor Trends Impact Consumer Confidence
30 Mortgage Applications Slide
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Backpedaled
29 French Business Turns More Confident on Production Trends, but a Growing Proportion Predict Rising Prices
29 Chain Store Sales Slide Big
29 Consumer Confidence Rose to 2-Year High in June
28 Retail Sales in Japan Decline in May. Does This Mean a Decline in Second Quarter Total Household Spending?
28 U.S. Personal Income Firm
25 Consumer Prices Still Weak in Japan
25 Higher Imports Reduced Estimate of 1Q GDP Growth
25 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Up
25 Existing Home Sales Rose To Record High
25 Mass Layoffs Down Sharply
24 British Industry Survey Suggests Recovery Near
24 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Rebound
24 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Fell Unexpectedly
24 Lower Prices (?) Spurred May New Home Sales To Record High
24 Help-Wanted Advertising Up A Bit
23 Japanese Exports and Imports Both Grow in May
23 Mortgage Applications Drift At Low Level
22 Signs of Increased Confidence Among German Investors and Italian Consumers
22 Producer Price Inflation in the Baltic Countries
22 Chain Store Sales Rose As Gasoline Prices Fell
21 ECRI Leading Indicators Slow
18 U.S. Current Account Deficit A New Record
18 Italy Industrial Orders Gain as Euro Softens
17 Hong Kong Employment Rises, But Underemployment Still High
17 PPI Jumped Again in May
17 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Down
17

Leading Indicators Signal Further Growth

17 Philadelphia Fed Index Firmed
16 Inflation in All of Europe Higher with Energy Price Boost
16 Housing Starts Slipped
16 Housing Market Index Dipped
16 U.S. Industrial Production Surged Again
16 OECD Leaders Rose
15 Another Hike in the Offering for the UK Bank Rate?
15 Gasoline Fueled Strong CPI Gain
15 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Improved in Mid-June
15 Manpower Index of US Hiring Intentions Held The High Ground
15 Empire State Index Firmer Than Expected
15 U.S. Business Inventories Up Again
15 Chain Store Sales Up
14 Recovery in Manufacturing Activity in the Pacific Rim Widens with Indonesian Report of Sharp Rise
14 U.S. Retail Sales Lifted By Autos & Gasoline
14 U.S. Trade Deficit Deeper Still
11 Layoffs Associated with "Movement of Work": New BLS Series
11 Home Price Inflation Cooled
10 Australia Employment Maintains Uptrend, Despite Decrease in May
10 U.S. Budget Deficit Shrunk
10 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Rose
10 Import Price Jump Led By Oil & Commodities
9 German CPI has largest 12-Month rise in 2 years,  due to energy, government-regulated sectors
9 Mortgage Applications At Two Year Low
9 The Future Course of Interest Rates
8 Small Business Optimism Slipped
8 Chain Store Sales Inched Higher
7 IP in Emerging Countries Outpaces that of Western Europe
7 Gasoline & Crude Oil Prices Down
4 Canada Labor Market Improves Further
4 U.S. Non-farm Payroll Growth Strong & Broad Based
3 Euro-Zone Services Activity Picks Up in May
3 Factory Inventory Accumulation Continued
3 1Q04 U.S. Productivity Revised Up
3 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Edge Lower
3 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Up
3 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Fell, Hiring Rose
2 Rebound in German Retail Sales
2 Mortgage Applications Down Further
2 Chain Store Sales Slip for Third Week in a Row
1 Purchasing Managers Say Manufacturing in the Euro-12 Area Rose in May to the Highest Level Since October 2000
1 ISM Factory Index Up Slightly
1 U.S. Construction Spending Strong
1 Challenger Layoffs Ticked Up Again
May 2004
28 Q1 GDP in Switzerland, Denmark and Hong Kong
28 Japan Employment and Consumer Spending Have Big Gains in April
28 U.S. Personal Income Up More Than Expected
28 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Down in May
28 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Again Strong
27 Steadying GDP Trends in Brazil, Philippines; Investment Grows
27 Q1 2004 GDP Revised Up Slightly, Corporate Profit Growth Slowed
27 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Dip
27 Help-Wanted Advertising Down Again
26 Gross Domestic Product Growth Moderates in 3 Countries, but Key Sectors Remain Firm
26 New Home Sales Down
26 Mortgage Applications & Business Borrowing Down
26 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Down More Than Expected, But ...
25 A Mixed Picture in European Confidence as Oil Prices Rise and Stock Markets Fall
25 Consumer Confidence Held The Higher Ground
25 Existing Home Sales Rose Unexpectedly to Near-Record
25 Chain Store Sales Lower Again As Gasoline Prices Rose Further
24 Chile's Gross Domestic Product Increases 1% in Q1 of 2004.  Exports of Copper Play a Major Role
24 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Up
21 Some Demand and Supply Factors in the US Oil Market
20 Canadian CPI Picks Up with Energy; Core Inflation Remains Low
20 Leading Indicators Uptrend Firm
20 Philadelphia Fed Index Down, Hiring Up
20 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Up