Economy in Brief: 2012

EMU seems to have posted a one-off result. Imports continue to erode in-line with other reports on economic weakness in the Zone but exports have sprung to life like a thought-to-be-dead vampire springing up from the grave on a foggy [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened during November for the first time in five months. The shortfall rose to $47.8B from a revised $43.3B in October, initially reported as $43.5B. Expectations had been for $44.7B according to [...]

The U.S. Commerce Department reported that business inventories rose 0.3% during November following a 0.8% rise in October. Business sales also rose 0.3%. As a result, the inventory/sales ratio held at 1.27 for the fourth straight [...]

Earlier workforce improvement seems to have stuttered. Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased to 399,000 last week from 375,000 the week earlier (revised from 372,000). The latest reading was the highest reading since the [...]

Consumers took a break from raising spending last month. Total retail sales ticked up 0.1% (6.5% y/y) during December following a revised 0.4% November increase, last month reported as 0.2%. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.3% [...]

Consumers took a break from raising spending last month. Total retail sales ticked up 0.1% (6.5% y/y) during December following a revised 0.4% November increase, last month reported as 0.2%. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.3% [...]

The index of total mortgage applications rose 4.5% last week to 663.1 (March 16, 1990 = 100). The increase followed the prior week's 4.1% decline and the index has moved irregularly sideways since October. Applications to refinance [...]

The Household Employment Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated job market improvement last month. However, while the official unemployment rate of 8.5% was well below its October '09 high of 10.0%, the picture was not [...]