Commentary Archive

December 2005
30 French Unemployment Decreases in November, Even in the Midst of Social Unrest
30 Chicago PMI Steady
29 Chilean Employment Down in November, but Yearly Growth Trend Maintained
29 U.S. Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Inched Up
29 U.S. Help-Wanted Advertising Improved
29 U.S. Existing Home Sales Down Again
28 Japan's CPI: Firming or Still Soft?
28 Consumer Confidence Buoyed By More Jobs & Lower Gas Prices
28 Chain Store Sales Reflect A Cheery Spirit & Lower Gas Prices
28 Mortgage Applications At Three Year Low
27 Economic Sentiment in Slovakia Slows in December
27 Inverted Treasury Yield Curve Signals Less Liquidity
23 EU Current Account Deficit Widens in October; Investment Income Contributes as Well as Goods Imports
23 Rise in U.S. Durable Goods Orders All Air(craft)
23 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Again Stronger Than Expected
23 November New Home Sales Reverse October's Gain
22 Japanese Trade Surplus Widens Modestly in November
22 U.S. Personal Income rose As Expected
22 Leading Economic Indicators Up Again
22 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Fell
22 Mass Layoffs Rose
21 UK Institutional Investors Diversify Holdings Through Q3; More Interest Abroad Is Evident
21 US 3Q GDP Revised Slightly Lower
21 Mortgage Applications Down Again
20 Production and New Orders in the Euro Zone's Big Three: Germany, France and Italy
20 PPI Down 0.7%, Core Tame
20 Housing Starts Post Surprising Gain; Single Family At Record
20 Chain Store Sales: The Holiday Spirit Found?
20 NAHB Housing Market Index: Down Hard Again
19 China's Trade Balance with the U. S. Heading for More Than $100 billion This Year
19 ECRI Leading Index: Meandering Movement
16 German Ifo Business Climate Index Approaches Balance in December as Business Confidence Improves
16 U.S. Current Account Deficit Improved Slightly
16 Philadelphia Fed Business Activity Up a Bit
15 Employment Conditions Firm in Netherlands, Sweden & Korea in October, November Data
15 Empire State Index Rose Further
15 CPI Decline Largest Since 1949; Core Inflation Steady
15 Industrial Output Up
15 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Inched Up
14 Japan's "TANKAN" Better than Expected in December
14 U.S. Trade Deficit Widened Unexpectedly
14 Import Prices Fell Broadly
14 Mortgage Applications Plunged
13 Fed Funds Rate Raised to 4.25%
13 JOLTS: U.S. Job Market Firmed Further
13 U.S. Business Inventories Rise but Slowly
13 Small Business Optimism Down, Pricing Firm
13 Confidence among German Investors and Analysts Rises Sharply: The ZEW Survey
13 U.S. Retail: Less Spent on Gasoline, More on Other Stuff
13 Chain Store Sales Up: Restrained by Higher Energy Prices?
12 Japan's Second Preliminary Estimate of 3rdQ GDP Growth Rate Revised Down to 0.2% from 0.4%:  Inventory Liquidation the Cause
12 OECD Leaders Rose Further
12 Households' Debt Usage Surged in 3Q
9 UK Trade Balance Decreases in October with Exports Up and Imports Down
9 Higher Commodity Prices: A Better Economy or Pending Inflation?
9 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Stronger Than Expected
8 Labor Force Data and Hurricanes
8 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Up Modestly
7 Australian GDP Slows to 0.2% Growth in Q3, But Q2's 1.3% Was Strong
7 Challenger Layoffs Up Third Straight Month in November
7 Mortgage Applications Recover Some
6 Sweden and Norway Report Good Third Quarter Growth
6

3Q U.S. Productivity Revised Up, 2Q Compensation Lower
6 U.S. Factory Inventories Back on the Rise, Order Backlogs Surged
6 Chain Store Sales Down Sharply
5 Growth in Japanese Corporate Profits Slowing
5 ISM: Activity Expanded Outside the Factory Sector
2 UK House Prices Continue Recovery in November
2 U.S. Payrolls Up
2 U.S. Vehicle Sales Up Modestly
2 Home Price Appreciation Strong, But Off Record Pace
1 Indonesia Trade Balance Largely Steady through October, Even with Big Gains in Oil and Non-oil Exports
1 US 3Q GDP Revised Up, Hurricanes Slam Profits
1 U.S. Construction Spending Up 
1 ISM Index Fell As Expected and Still Firm
1 U.S. Personal Income Lifted By Strong Wage Gain
1 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Higher
November 2005
30 Euro-zone Growth Picks Up to 0.6% in Q3; Chain-Linking Introduced to Eurostat Aggregates
30 Chicago Purchasing Managers' "Business Barometer" Holds Up; Prices Accelerate to 26-Year High
29 Denmark's Third Quarter GDP Growth Rate Tops That of Hungary and the Philippines
29 New Home Sales; There's Life Yet
29 Consumer Confidence Recovered
29 Chain Store Sales Backpedaled, Gas Prices Down Again
29 U.S. Durable Goods Rebound; Aircraft Orders Soared
28 Confidence Improving in the Czech and Slovak Republics 
28 U.S. Existing Home Sales Soften
28 Mass Layoffs Down
23 Italian Consumer Confidence Improves in November as Inflation Concerns Moderate
23 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Lifted Further By Drop in Oil Prices
23 U.S. Mortgage Applications Fell Further
23 U.S. Help-Wanted Advertising Stable
23 U.S. Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Higher
22 Revisions and Additions to German National Accounts Data for Q3  
22 Gasoline Prices Fell In A Competitive Market
22 Chain Store Sales Up
21 Declines in the Euro and the Price of Oil Improve the  Euro Zone Balance of Trade in Goods 
21 U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Recovered
18 State Coincident Indexes Highlight Regional Differences in Economic Activity
17 Mexico's GDP Expands 3.3% in Q3: Is This Good or Bad?
17 Industrial Output Rebounded in October
17 Housing Starts Down
17 NAHB Housing Market Index Fell Hard
17 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Lowest Since April
16 Foreign Investors Increase Net Securities Purchases in US Markets Again in September
16 U.S. Business Inventories Higher Again
16 Mortgage Applications Fell
16 Home Heating Costs Lifted CPI
15 German Economic Growth Increases in the Third Quarter but ZEW Survey Raises Doubts About the Outlook
15 PPI Up Another 0.7%, Core Prices Fell
15 U.S. Retail Sales Dip
15 Chain Store Sales Backpedaled, Gas Prices Down
15 Empire State Index Back Up
14 Japanese Gross Domestic Product Slows, but Exceeds Consensus Estimates
14 October U.S. Budget Deficit Down Y/Y
11 OECD Leaders Up Again
10 Import Prices Declined
10 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Lifted By Drop in Oil Prices
10 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Remain Low
10 CPI Data Show Some Relief for Energy in October
10 Record U.S. Trade Deficit Suffered Triple Whammy
9 France: The Riots Come Just When Unemployment Was Starting To Ease
9 Mortgage Applications Rose
8 Teikoku Data Bank's Current Economic Trends: Another Indicator for Japanese Economic Growth 
8 Small Business Optimism Up, Pricing Intentions Cool
8 Chain Store Sales Jumped As Gas Prices Fell Another Dime
8 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings & Hires Up
7 September Industrial Production in Denmark, Germany, Norway and the UK
7 Challenger Layoffs Up Again in October, Trend Lower
4 Canadian Employment Rebounds in October; Participation Rate & Unemployment Steady
4 October U.S. Payrolls Soft
3 PMI Surveys Around the World in October:  Europe Looks Better, China Does Not!
3 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Recovered
3 U.S. Factory Inventories Slip
3 3Q U.S. Productivity Strong
3 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims At Two Month Low
2 Modest Gains in German Employment; Unemployment Rates Up or Down, Depending on Definition
2 U.S. Vehicle Sales Lowest Since 1998, Inventories Lower As Well
2 Mortgage Applications Off Again
1 Fed Funds Rate Raised to 4.00% and Going Higher?
1 U.S. Construction Spending Rose Further
1 Inflation Surges in Indonesia after Government Reduced Fuel Subsidies
1 ISM Index Firmer Than Expected, Pricing Up
1 Chain Store Sales Finish October Firm as Gasoline Prices Decline
October 2005
31 Japan's Third Quarter GDP Growth Likely to Decline:  A Negative Rate of Growth?
31 U.S. Personal Income Lifted By Insurance Payments
31 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Again Rose Unexpectedly
28 World Inflation Apparently No Worse in October
28 Employment Cost Index Boosted By Benefit Costs
28 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Lowest Since 1992
28 US 3Q GDP Grew 3.8%
27 UK Mortgage Lending on the Upswing, According to September BBA Data
27 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Off
27 New Home Sales Up, Northeast & West Down
27 Help-Wanted Advertising Edged Up
27 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Again Down Sharply
26 Diversity in Japanese Trade
26 Mortgage Applications Backed Down
26 MAPI Business Outlook Survey Fell Further
25 Business Confidence Strengthens in the Euro Zone: German and Dutch Business Join the More Optimistic Groups 
25 Consumer Confidence Down Again
25

U.S. Existing Home Sales Unchanged
25 Chain Store Sales Slipped
25 Gasoline Prices Fell Further
24 Some Improvement in French Business Confidence 
24 ECRI Leading Index Reached a New High
21 UK GDP Rises 0.4%, Helped by Upturn in Manufacturing
21 Petroleum Prices Down, And Going Lower?
20 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Recovered
20 October Consumer Confidence Rises in Italy, But Nascent Inflation and Unemployment Concerns Raise Questions, Too
20 Leading Economic Indicators Fell for Third Month
20 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Down Sharply
19 Foreign Buying of Securities in US Markets 3rd Largest in August
19 Housing Starts Firm
19 NAHB Housing Market Index Improved
19 Mortgage Applications Rose Sharply
18 Germany's ZEW Results Are Disappointing: Political Uncertainty and Inflation Causes? 
18 September PPI Up 1.9%: Spillover Effects?
18 Chain Store Sales Rose Again Last Week
17 Rising Producer and Wholesale Price Indexes:  A Prelude to Rising Consumer Price Indexes?
17 FY 2005 U.S. Budget Deficit Fell Due To Higher Receipts
17 October Empire State Index Fell Unexpectedly
14 Brazil's Retail Sales Ease in August, But Show Good Gain from Year Ago
14 Hurricanes Curtailed Industrial Output 
14 U.S. Business Inventories Rebuilt
14 Record Gain in Energy Prices Lifted CPI; Core Prices Tame
14 Depressed U.S. Consumer Sentiment Fell Further
14 U.S. Retail Sales Up; Core Spending Firm
13 September Jobless Rate Rises in Korea; Manufacturing's Share of Employment Diminishes
13 U.S. Trade Deficit Deeper Due to Oil
13 Import Prices Surged Again
13 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Slipped
12 German Inflation 2.5% in September;  Erratic Moves in Clothing and Food Add to Push from Energy
12 Mortgage Applications Continued Lower
11 Good News in Japanese Machinery Order Data: Stock Market Reaches its Highest Level Since May 2001 
11 Small Business Optimism Again Slipped Moderately
11 Chain Store Sales Up Slightly Last Week
10 French Production and Construction, German Exports Increase in August 
10 OECD Leaders Signal Further Growth
7 Canadian Jobs Slip in September; Declining Participation Holds Down Unemployment
7 Decline in U.S. Payrolls Dampened
6 UK Industrial Production Falls in August as Oil Production Lags
6 Hurricanes Lifted Initial Jobless Insurance Claims
5 Labor Costs in France Stabilize After Slowdown, an Aid to Workers' Purchasing Power
5 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Back Down
5 Challenger Layoffs Up Slightly
5 Mortgage Applications Fell With Fewer New Purchases
4 Varied Reports of Inflation
4 U.S. Factory Inventories Slip
4 U.S. Vehicle Sales Slide As Truck Sales Collapse
4 Weekly Chain Store Sales Recover A Bit More
3 Japan's Tankan Survey Moderately Disappointing
3 U.S. Construction Spending Up
3 ISM Index Lifted by Hurricane Rebuilding & Inventory Restocking
September 2005
30 French Unemployment Little Changed in Short-Run, but Young Workers Suffer Significant Joblessness
30 U.S. Personal Income Fell
30 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Remained Depressed
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Improved Unexpectedly
29 China Foreign Direct Investment: Strong but Uneven Gains, Heavy Reliance on Special "Foreign Investment Enterprises"
29 Help-Wanted Advertising Down Sharply
29 Unemployment Insurance Claims Fell Sharply
29 US GDP Growth Unrevised
28 Lackluster Expectations for European Business Managers
28 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Rebounded
28 Mortgage Applications Down Sharply
27 German Business Confidence Measure (IFO) Surprises on the Up Side
27 Consumer Confidence Down Sharply
27 New Home Sales Decline Surprising
27 Weekly Chain Store Sales Inch Higher
26 Big Business in Japan Becomes More Optimistic 
26 U.S. Existing Home Sales Still Near Record in August
23 Before The Storms: Commodity Prices On The Rise
22 Japan's Trade Surplus Shrinks; Petroleum Is Only Part of the Reason
22 Leading Economic Indicators Post Second Decline
22 Unemployment Insurance Claims Again High Due to Hurricane
21 Households' Net Worth Improved Further in 2Q 
21 Labor Costs Weak in Europe, Following Slow GDP Growth
21 Mortgage Applications Up
20 Fed Funds Rate Increased to 3.75%
20 Petroleum Prices: Supply Uncertainty & US Demand Strength
20 Politics and Energy Prices Depress German Investor Confidence
20 Housing Starts Slipped in August
20 Weekly Chain Store Sales Down Sharply
19 NAHB Housing Market Index Lowest in Over Two Years
19 Chinese Exports of Goods on the Way to Surpass Those of the U. S. and Germany in the Next Five Years
19 ECRI Leading Index: Down But Not Out
16 Euro-Zone Harmonized CPI Inflation Only Slightly Higher in August; "Core" Remains Steady
16 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Depressed
16 U.S. Current Account Deficit Improved
16 Philadelphia Fed Indexes: Activity Down Hard, Pricing Surged
16 U.S. Business Inventories Fell
15 Energy in China
15 CPI Lifted By Strong Energy Prices
15 Home Prices Surge
15 Empire State Index Dipped
15 Hurricane Katrina Caused Jobless Insurance Claims To Surge
14 Good Growth in Irish Employment; Unemployment Rate Low in Q2
14 U.S. Budget Deficit Deepened Due To Widespread Spending
14 Industrial Production Increase Again Light
14 U.S. Retail Sales Down With Autos, Elsewhere OK
13 European Inflation Becoming a Rising Concern to Central Banks
13 "Core" PPI Unchanged in August
13 U.S. Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Narrowed
13 Weekly Chain Store Sales Down A Bit
13 Manpower Index Slipped
13 Small Business Optimism Slipped
12 A Better Picture for the Japanese Economy
12 OECD Leaders Positive
9 UK Trade Balance Widens in July, Offsetting June Drop
9 U.S. Import Prices Jumped
8 Australian Employed Continues to Rise; Unemployment Rate Maintains Record Low
8 U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Dipped
8 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings & Hires Dipped
7 Industrial Production Gains in Europe:  Can That Pattern Be Sustained?
7 2Q U.S. Productivity Revised Down
7 U.S. Chain Store Sales Flat
7 Lower Rates Spurred U.S. Mortgage Applications
6 Manufacturing Sales and New Orders in Germany
6 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Rebounded
2 Before Katrina, U.S. Payrolls On An Up Trend
2 U.S. Vehicle Sales Slipped
1 U.S. Construction Spending Losing Steam 
1 ISM Factory Index Backpedaled
1 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Up a Bit
1 U.S. Personal Income Light, Price Inflation Firmed
August 2005
31 US GDP Growth Little Revised, Profits Quite Firm
31 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Down Sharply
31 Mortgage Applications Down Again
30 Japanese Recovery Hits a Snag in July but One Month Is Not a Trend and Doubts about the Consumer Confidence Data
30 Consumer Confidence Posted Surprising Increase
30 U.S. Factory Inventories Began to Rebuild
30 Chain Store Sales Down With Higher Gas Prices
29 UK:  GDP Data Confirm Recent Slowdown in Growth; Index of Distribution Confirms Long Run Shift in Production & Distribution Trends 
29 ECRI Leading Index Suggests Economic Growth
26 Energy Prices: Gasoline High, Natural Gas Takes Surprising Jump, Too
26 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Drops Further in Final August Report
25 German IFO Index Decreases in August, But Expectations Edge Higher
25 Unemployment Insurance Claims Ease, Hover in Tight Range
24 New Home Sales Gain with Spurt in the West
24 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Down in July, But May & June Revised Upward
23 German Investor's Confidence Rises Sharply in August: GDP Release Shows Increased Domestic Activity
23 U.S. Existing Home Sales & Prices Moderate Slightly in July
23 Chain Store Sales Down a 3rd Week
22 Euro Zone Current Account Suffers from High Oil Prices and Chinese Competition
19 Growth Continues through July in Russia's "Five Basic Indicators"
19 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Suggests Above Trend Growth
18 "Crack Spread" Widens for Oil Refiners, But Percentage Premium in Gasoline and Oil Values Is Not "High"
18 Philadelphia Fed Index Improved Further
18 Leading Indicators Rose Again in July
18 Unemployment Insurance Claims Suggest Positive Job Growth
17 UK Employment Basically Flat through May, Jobless Benefit Claims Creeping Higher
17 Producer Prices Doubled Expectations
17 Mortgage Applications Down With Less Refinancing
16 Spain's Balance of Payments in May
16 CPI Lifted By Strong Energy Prices
16 Housing Starts Firm
16 NAHB Housing Market Index Down Sharply in August
16 Industrial Production Increase Light
16 Chain Store Sales Dipped Again
15 China's Trade Surplus Growing:  Not Only is the Surplus with the United States Rising, but the Deficit with All Other Countries Is Declining Sharply
15 Empire State Index Improved and About Stable Month to Month
12 U.S. Trade Deficit Deepened
12 Import Prices Recovered
12 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Down
11 U.S. Budget Deficit in July Reduced
11 U.S. Business Inventories Unchanged
11 OECD Leaders Improved
11 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings Improved
11 Small Business Optimism Rose
11 European GDP Growth for Q2 Slows to 0.3% as Germany Stalls; Variations Wide in Seasonally Adjusted and Unadjusted Yearly Gains
11 U.S. Retail Sales Disappoint
11 Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Down
10 Singapore GDP Growth Moderately High at 3% in Q2
10 Mortgage Applications Down With Less Refinancing
9 German Preliminary Balance of Payment and Trade Data for June: The seasonally and not seasonally adjusted
9 Fed Funds Rate Increased to 3.50%
9 2Q U.S. Productivity As-Expected, Revisions Down
9 Chain Store Sales Stuttered
8 Stagnant U.S. Wages & Strong Consumer Spending?
8 Industrial Production: Turkey, Malaysia, Slovakia and Italy
5 Bank of England Cuts Base Rate as Financial Strains Start to Show
5 U.S. Payrolls Improve
4 German Factory Orders Advance 2.4% in June: Good Rebound After Sluggish Winter
4 Unemployment Insurance Claims Continue Downtrend
3 Euro-Zone Retail Sales Show Modest Growth through June
3 Employee Discounts Spurred U.S. Vehicle Sales
3 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Down, As Expected
3 Challenger Layoffs Slipped
3 Mortgage Applications Dipped Again
2 UK's CBI Survey of Distributive Trades Confirms Slowdown in Retail Trade and Expects Continued Weakness
2 June Growth in U.S. Personal Income Firm
2 U.S. Factory Inventories Down Again
2 Chain Store Sales Ended July Strong
1 Rises in Japanese Employment and Wages: Good Omens for Japanese Consumer Incomes and Spending
1 July ISM Factory Index Highest This Year
1 U.S. Construction Spending Down for Fifth Month This Year
July 2005
29 US GDP Growth About As Expected in 2Q
29 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Held Earlier Improvement
29 Employment Cost Index Stable As Benefit Costs Slowed
29 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Much Improved
28 Help-Wanted Advertising Inched Up
28 Mass Layoffs Down
28 Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Remained Low
27 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Firm, Revisions Positive
27 New Home Sales Jumped Again
27 Mortgage Applications Fell
26 Currency Declines Boost Business Confidence in Italy, Germany and the U. K. but Fail to Do So in the Netherlands
26 Consumer Confidence Retraced Earlier Gain
26 Gasoline Prices Dipped Last Week, Up 6.2% in July
26 Chain Store Sales Post Another Solid Gain
25 A Smaller Trade Deficit for Mexico in June
25 U.S. Existing Home Prices & Sales Hot
22 UK GDP Rises 0.4%, with Declining Factory Output Offset by Greater Oil & Gas Activity 
22 MAPI Business Outlook Survey Down in 2Q to the Lowest in Two Years
21 China Lets Yuan "Float" as Its Exports Comprise Bigger and Bigger Shares of World Trade
21 Philadelphia Fed Activity Index Recovered, Expectations Dreary
21 June Leading Indicators Up, Revisions Suggest Improved Prospects
21 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims At Four Month Low
20 China GDP Strong at 9.5% Growth in Q2
20 Rise in Mortgage Applications Due To Refinancing
19 TIC Data Show Larger Foreign Purchases of US Securities in May
19 Housing Starts Unchanged, Single Family Slipped
19 NAHB Housing Market Index Fell from Record High
19 Chain Store Sales Again Higher
18 Ukraine Retail Trade Grows, but Production Turns Weaker
18 ECRI Leading Economic Index Improved Slightly
15 Israel's Consumer Prices Are Flat in June; Wholesale Prices Flat, but Up More Than 5% in Year
15 Producer Prices Unexpectedly Weak
15 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Up A Bit Further
15 Industrial Production Recovered
15 Empire State Index Up Sharply
15 U.S. Business Inventory Accumulation Continued Slow
14 Several Nations' CPI's Remain Moderate Despite Rapidly Rising Energy Costs
14 Consumer Prices Rose Less Than Expected
14 U.S. Retail Sales Surged
14 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Up Again
13 Trade Expands at Individual Ports, Shown in Extensive Data Offerings in PORTS Database
13 U.S. Budget Surplus in June, Estimates Reduced
13 U.S. Trade Deficit Smaller
13 Import Prices Recovered
13 Mortgage Applications Back Down
12 Deflation Still a Problem in Japan 
12 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings Eased
12 Small Business Optimism Stable
12 Chain Store Sales Ticked Higher
11 Chinese Imports of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products:  A Comparison between Two Data Sources
11 OECD Leaders Lower Still, North American Increase Limited
8 Canadian Unemployment Rate Ties 29-Year Low in June, but Employment Growth Is Sluggish
8 U.S. Payrolls Up, Unemployment Down
7 Australia Unemployment Falls; Employment Passes 10 Million
7 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Ticked Up
6 UK Corporations Achieve High Profitability in Q1, Led by Oil Companies and Service Industries
6 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Recovered
6 Challenger Layoffs Jumped
6 Chain Store Sales: July Began Firmer
6 Mortgage Applications Surged
5 Revised German Retail Sales Data
5 U.S. Vehicle Sales Led Higher By Truck Rebound
5 U.S. Factory Inventories Unchanged
1 Japanese Employment, Unemployment and TANKAN All Show Improvement
1 ISM Factory Index Recovered Some
1 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Extended Increase
1 U.S. Construction Spending Fell After Strengthened Gain Last Year
June 2005
30 Fed Funds Rate Increased to 3.25%
30 French Unemployment High, Consumer Confidence Low; Germany Sees Slight Declines in Unemployment
30 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Fell Again
30 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Fell Further
30 Help-Wanted Advertising Down
30 U.S. Personal Income Growth Eased in May
29 Japanese Industrial Output Sluggish; Korea's Grows Unevenly
29 US GDP & Corporate Profit Growth Revised Up
29 Mortgage Applications Fell A Bit Further
28 More Indicators of European Business Confidence:  French Up, Italian Down
28 Consumer Confidence Rose Again
28 Chain Store Sales Fell
27 The German IFO Institute Confirms the Rise in Business Confidence Shown Earlier by the ZEW Measure
27 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index Indicates Trend US GDP Growth
27 U.S. Liquidity Growth Down
24 Despite Strong Oil Revenues and Big US Exports, Mexican Trade Runs Overall Deficit
24 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Soar
24 New Home Sales Up, Prices Down
23 Consumers Fret Over Economic Situation in Italy & Netherlands
23 U.S. Existing Home Sales Slipped
23 Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Fell
22 Taiwan Employment Grows, but Factory Sector Lags; Similar Pattern for Other Asian NICs
22 Mortgage Applications Retraced Prior Week's Jump
22 Crude Oil Prices Pushing $60 per Barrel
21 Investor Confidence in Germany Improves A Bit in June but a Mood of Pessimism Dominates 
21 Chain Store Sales Rose For Third Week
20 A Few Encouraging Signs in Italy's Lackluster  Economy
20 Leading Indicators Down Again
17 April Machinery Orders Jump in Japan; Foreign Sector and Domestic Manufacturing Lead
17 Philadelphia Fed Index Negative
17 U.S. Current Account Deficit Another Record
17 U.S. Consumer Sentiment Improved
16 Italy's Trade Accounts Shift to Deficit; Dynamics of Global Business Alter Long-Running Surplus Position
16 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Flat
16 Housing Starts Edged Higher
16 NAHB Housing Market Index At Record High
15 Foreign Buying of US Securities Moderates, Especially Among Agency Debt
15 U.S. Business Inventory Accumulation Slowing
15 Mortgage Applications Surged As Rates Remained Low
15 Industrial Production Recovered
15 Empire State Index Again Positive
15 Consumer Price Inflation Eased
14 More Jobs Suggested by Manpower Index
14 Small Business Optimism Up A Bit
14 OECD Leaders Fell Broadly Again
14 U.S. Retail Sales Backpedal
14 PPI Unexpectedly Down Sharply
14 Chain Store Sales Up Again Last Week, Leaders Better
14 Divergent Inflation Trends in the U.K. and the Euro Zone
13 Irish Industrial Production: A Slowdown in the "Modern Sector"
13 U.S. Budget Deficit Continued To Shrink
10 Japanese Investors Buy Sizable Amount of Foreign Debt; Foreign Investors Buy Sizable Amount of Japanese Debt
10 U.S. Trade Deficit Deteriorated
10 Import Prices Fell
9 More Industrial Production: Lackluster in the UK, Trending Upward in South Africa
9 Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Back Down
8 Industrial Production Shows Three-Tiered Performance in Netherlands, Slovakia and Turkey
8 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings Firm Further
8 Mortgage Applications Recovered
7 Industrial Production: Germany, Norway, Brazil and Hungary
7 Chain Store Sales Recovered Some Last Week
7 Semiconductor Sales Eased
6 UK Survey of Jobs Reveals Softening in the Labor Market 
6 ECRI Leading Economic Index Trending Lower
3 Chilean Inflation Eases in May After Energy-Driven Surge in April
3 U.S. Job Gain Well Short of Expectations
3 ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Fell Again
2 China Trade in Surplus, but Imports Are Large, Nonetheless
2 Challenger Layoffs Higher in May
2 U.S. Factory Inventory Growth Slowed
2 U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Fell
2 U.S. Productivity Revised Higher But Compensation Strong
2 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Jumped
1 ISM Factory Index Fell Again
1 U.S. Construction Again Led Higher By Residential Building 
1 Weekly Chain Store Sales Fell For Third Week
1 Mortgage Applications Off Again
1 Euro-Zone Manufacturing PMI Shows Net Contraction for Second Month
May 2005
31 Consumer and Business Confidence in the Euro Zone Declines in May
31 Consumer Confidence Rebounded
31 Chicago Purchasing Agents' Index Down Big
27 BBA Data Show Tentative Firming in UK Mortgage Lending; Consumer Credit Still Soft
27 U.S. Income & Outlays Firm, Wage Revisions Upward
27 U.S. Consumer Sentiment A Bit Better
26 Consumer Confidence in Sweden Edges Lower, but Spending on Durable Goods Remains Strong
26 US GDP Growth Revised Up, Corporate Profit Growth Down
26 Initial Claims for Jobless Insurance Nudged Up
26 Help-Wanted Advertising Flat
25 Spanish GDP Growth Maintains Firm Pace; Chain-Linking Introduced
25 U.S. Durable Goods Orders Rebounded
25 New Home Sales Still on a Record Pace
25 Mortgage Applications Recover
24 Germany' First Quarter GDP Increased 1%: Participants in the ZEW Survey Become More Cautious on the Outlook
24 Weekly Chain Store Sales Slipped Again
24 U.S. Existing Home Sales Rose To Another Record
23 South Korea and Taiwan Report Slow Growth in the First Quarter of 2005
23 Home Price Inflation: Location, Location, Location
20 French GDP Growth Slows in Q1; Data Rebased to 2000 Prices
20 Philadelphia Fed Index Reversed Course
19 Employment Gains in Germany, Denmark; Decline in Netherlands Is Moderating
19 Leading Indicators Down Again
19 Chicago Fed Nat'l Activity Index: Economic Growth Near Trend
19