Recent Updates
- US: Consumer Prices (Mar)
- Bangladesh: CPI (Mar)
- US: NFIB SMall Business Optimism (Mar)
- Egypt: Steel Sales and Production (Mar), BOP (Q4-Prelim)
- Slovenia: BOP, External Debt Liabilities (Feb)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
FIBER: Industrial Commodity Prices Improve Modestly
The FIBER Industrial Materials Price Index increased 0.9% during the four weeks ended April 9...
EMU Retail Sales Jump, Regaining Some of the January Drop
February finds EU retail sales and motor vehicle registration rebounding...
U.S. PPI Posts Broad-Based Strength in March
The Producer Price Index for final demand jumped 1.0% (4.2% y/y) during March...
U.S. Wholesale Inventories Post Strong February Gain; Sales Fall
Wholesale inventories increased 0.6% (2.0% y/y) during February...
U.S. Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Unexpectedly Increase
Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 744,000 during the week ended April 3...
Viewpoints
Commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics.
Monetary Policy Blunder: Not Managing Economic & Financial Outcomes Equally
Monetary Policy at a Crossroad: Policymakers Need to Break Promise of Easy Money to Avoid Boom-Bust
State Coincident Indexes in January
Data Surprises, Markets and COVID
by Tom Moeller January 27, 2015
Average gasoline prices declined another 3 cents in the week ended January 26 to $2.04 per gallon, the lowest level since April 2009. Prices have fallen by more than one-third during the last year and by nearly one-half since their June high of $3.70 per gallon. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in pump prices. The seasonally adjusted price declined to $2.25 per gallon last week from $2.28 during the week prior.
WTI crude oil prices continued to decline, last week to an average $46.62 per barrel (-51.6% y/y) in the week ended January 23. Yesterday, prices declined further to $45.15 per barrel. These levels compare to a June peak of $107.95. The seasonally adjusted price generated by Haver Analytics declined to $50.34 per barrel last week. Brent crude oil prices fell to $46.44 per barrel last week (-57.4% y/y) then were $46.07 yesterday.
Natural gas prices declined to $2.94 (-41.1% y/y) per mmbtu during the week ended January 23 and held at $2.93 yesterday.
The demand for all petroleum products increased 4.9% y/y in the week ended January 16 and gasoline demand jumped 8.7% y/y. Inventories of crude oil and petroleum products increased 6.6% y/y, the strongest rise in five years, and gasoline inventories grew 2.4% y/y.
The energy price data are reported by the U.S. Department of Energy and petroleum demand and inventory figures can be found in Haver's WEEKLY database. The daily figures are in DAILY and greater detail on prices, demand and production, along with regional breakdowns, are in OILWKLY.
Weekly Energy Prices | 01/26/15 | 01/19/15 | 01/12/15 | Y/Y% | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Retail Gasoline ($ per Gallon, Regular) | 2.04 | 2.07 | 2.14 | -38.0 | 3.36 | 3.51 | 3.62 |
Light Sweet Crude Oil, WTI ($ per bbl., WSJ) | 46.62 | 47.07 | 48.77 | -51.6 | 93.63 | 97.95 | 94.20 |
Natural Gas ($/mmbtu, LA, WSJ) | 2.94 | 3.06 | 3.02 | -41.1 | 4.37 | 3.73 | 2.75 |