Economy in Brief

Energy product prices were mixed last week. Regular gasoline prices edged down 3 cents per gallon to $2.155 (+2.9% y/y), their lowest level since mid-August. Prices remained down versus a 2014 high of $3.71 per gallon. Haver Analytics [...]

Despite the ongoing weakness in the British pound sterling, U.K. industrial orders are 'losing ground.' However, at -3 the net balance for November is much better than last month's -17 and better than the series 12-month average of [...]

The CFNAI Diffusion Index weakened in October, declining to -0.35 from September's -0.16, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The components of the index all show weakness relative to trend except for the employment [...]

Japan's surplus is back in business and has given 12 positive readings in the last 12 months, making the return to surplus look like a lasting event. Japan's surplus position continues to make steadily higher despite the closure of [...]

The trends still largely tell the story as the EMU trade and current account deficits relative to GDP are massive and still trending higher. In September, the current account deficit for the EMU-19 fell to 25.3 billion euros from 29.1 [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reported that its index of regional manufacturing sector business activity declined to 1 during November from an unrevised 6 during each of the prior two months. That still represented [...]

The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators improved 0.1% during October (1.1% y/y) following an unrevised 0.2% September increase. The gain matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index remained positive in November. At 7.6, it was fourth consecutive reading above zero, and followed an unrevised 9.7 in October. It was [...]