Economy in Brief

U.S. consumers' attraction to light trucks bolstered overall vehicle sales last month. Total sales of light vehicles during April increased 5.1% (4.0% y/y) from March to 17.42 million units (SAAR), and recovered most of the prior [...]

Regular gasoline prices increased to $2.24 per gallon last week (-15.9% y/y) after rising to $2.16 in the prior week, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Prices were at the highest level since October. The price compares to a [...]

The euro area PPI excluding construction rose by 0.1% in March but its progression from 12-month to six-month to three-month continues to show increasingly rapid deceleration. With a rise in prices in March, that decelerating trend is [...]

The value of construction put-in-place improved 0.3% during March (8.6% y/y) following a 1.0% February increase, revised from -0.5%. January's 0.3% decline was revised from a 2.1% rise. A 0.5% increase was expected in the Action [...]

The ISM Composite Index of manufacturing activity posted a sharp decline to 50.8 during April. The move reversed much of a rise to an unrevised 51.8 in March, and disappointed expectations for 51.3 in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

In these early reporting EMU countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, and the Netherlands), the manufacturing PMIs are lower in three in April (France, Austria, and the Netherlands). Only two were lower in March (France and [...]

A firmer job market is lending strength to earnings power. Personal income increased 0.4% during March (4.2% y/y) following a 0.1% uptick in February, revised from 0.2%. A 0.3% increase had been expected in the Action Economics [...]

Chicago purchasing managers reported that their Business Barometer Index declined to 50.4 this month following a jump to 53.6 in March. The latest reading fell short of expectations for 53.0 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]