- Prices edge lower for third straight month.
- Annual increase is near two-year low.
- Price changes are uneven amongst regions.
Introducing
Tom Moeller
in:Our Authors
Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
Publications by Tom Moeller
USA| Aug 26 2025U.S. FHFA House Prices Continue to Decline in June
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
USA| Aug 26 2025U.S. Energy Prices Are Mixed in Latest Week
- Gasoline prices rise.
- Crude oil prices ease.
- Natural gas prices decline.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
USA| Aug 25 2025U.S. New Home Sales & Prices Ease in July
- Small decline in sales follows sharp increase.
- Sales are mixed throughout the country.
- Median sales price declines for second straight month.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Three of four components make negative contributions.
- Production & employment lead downturn.
- Three-month trend improves.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Decline reverses earlier strength.
- Crude oil costs lead the weakening.
- Lumber & metals prices follow, but textile costs rise.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Home sales remain below recent high in December.
- Sales are slightly higher m/m in most of country.
- Median sales price slips from record high.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Initial claims surge to highest level in eight weeks.
- Continuing claims extend upward trend.
- Insured unemployment rate holds steady.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Purchase applications edge higher while loan refinancing declines.
- Effective fixed-interest rate on 30-year loans remains at four-month low.
- Average loan size declines.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
USA| Aug 19 2025U.S. Housing Starts Strengthen Unexpectedly in July
- Increase brings starts to five-month high.
- Multi-family starts surge while single-family starts rise moderately.
- Building permits decline is led by multi-family.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
USA| Aug 19 2025U.S. Energy Prices Are Mixed in Latest Week
Retail gasoline prices for all grades, on average, inched up to $3.25 per gallon (-7.1% y/y) last week after falling to $3.24 one week earlier. Prices remained above their low of $3.13 in the week of December 9. The recent high was $3.79 in the week ending April 22, 2024. Their all-time high of $5.11 occurred in the week ending June 13, 2022. The retail price for on-highway diesel fuel fell to $3.71 per gallon (+0.7% y/y) in the week of August 18 after easing to $3.75 in the prior week. The latest diesel price stood well below a high of $4.63 in the week ending September 18, 2023 and a peak of $5.81 in the week ending June 20, 2022.
The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined to $63.31 per barrel (-19.7% y/y) in the week ended August 15 from $64.71 in the prior week. The drop left prices at the lowest level since the first week of June. Prices remained above a $59.04 low in the second week of May. The cost of crude oil peaked at $120.46 in the week of June 10, 2022. Yesterday, the price was $63.96 per barrel. The price of European Brent crude fell to $67.17 per barrel (-18.6% y/y) in the week of August 15, after falling to $68.17 in the prior week. Prices remained below a recent high of $95.61 in the week of September 29, 2023 and below a peak of $127.40 in June 2022. The price was $68.18 per gallon yesterday.
Natural gas prices slipped to an average $2.94/mmbtu (+38.0% y/y) in the week ended August 15, after falling to an average $2.99/mmbtu in the prior week. Prices remained well above a low of $1.40/mmbtu in the week of March 15, 2024 but below their peak of $9.56 in the week of August 26, 2022. Yesterday, the price was $2.96 per mmbtu.
Gasoline demand declined 1.5% y/y in the four weeks ending August 8, following a 2.2% y/y decline in the prior four weeks. Demand for all petroleum products rose 2.9% y/y in the four weeks ending August 8, after a 1.6% y/y increase in the previous four-week period. Crude oil input to refineries rose 4.2% y/y in the four weeks ending August 8, after a 2.9% y/y gain in the prior four weeks.
Gasoline inventories rose 1.8% y/y in the week ending August 8 after a 0.9% y/y in the prior week. Residual fuel oil inventories fell 25.7% y/y in the week of August 8, after a 25.8% y/y fall in the prior week. Crude oil inventories rose 2.8% y/y in the week of August 8 after a 2.7% y/y rise in the previous week.
Measured in days’ supply, gasoline inventories stood at 25.0 days in the week of August 8, unchnged from the prior week. The recent low was 22.9 days in the week of November 8, 2024. The supply of crude oil held at 25.0 days in the week of August 8, and remained below a high of 31.9 days in the week of March 3, 2023.
These data are reported by the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. The price and supply/demand data can be found in Haver’s WEEKLY & USENERGY database.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
USA| Aug 18 2025U.S. Home Builders Index Edges Lower in August
- Overall reading matches lowest level since December 2022.
- Current sales slip, expectations steady, while traffic improves.
- Lower Northeast reading accounts for overall index decline.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Strong vehicle sales pace the increase.
- Nonauto sales are mixed.
- Sales in the retail control group (used to estimate PCE) increase.
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
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