Economy in Brief

Total business inventories increased 0.3% in May (2.4% y/y), only the second rise in the last seven months. Retail inventories gained 0.5% (3.1% y/y) and more than recouped April's decline. Motor vehicle & parts inventories jumped [...]

The EMU trade surplus rose to 19.7 billion euros in May from 18.6 billion euros in April. That compares to a 12-month average of 20.4 billion euros. The euro surplus has been a political hot potato that Germany is a part of and has [...]

Industrial production increased 0.4% during June (2.0% y/y) following a May 0.1% gain, revised from no change. A 0.3% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. A 1.6% rise (9.9% y/y) in mining output drove [...]

The Consumer Price Index continued to underperform market expectations in June. The headline index was unchanged from May (+1.6% y/y) against a market expectation (from the Action Economics Forecast Survey) of a 0.1% m/m increase. [...]

Consumer spending has discernibly weakened during the last two months. Total retail sales and spending at restaurants fell 0.2% during June (+3.2% y/y) following a 0.1% May dip, revised from -0.3%. A 0.1% increase had been expected in [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal government ran a $90.2 billion budget deficit during June compared to a $6.3 billion surplus in June 2016. A $27.5 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims fell to 247,000 during the week ended July 8 from 250,000, revised from 248,000, in the prior week. Expectations called for 245,000 claims in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The four-week [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index improved 0.1% during June (2.0% y/y) after May's stability. No change in the index had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During the first six months of 2016, the [...]