Economy in Brief: 2008

During February, total business inventories matched expectations and rose 0.6%. That followed a 0.9% January increase which was revised up slightly. The annualized three month growth in inventories rose to a quite firm annualized rate [...]

U.S. retail sales during March increased a modest 0.2% after a 0.4% decline during February. The February drop was a bit shallower than the -0.6% reported last month due to a lessening of that month's decline in sales of motor [...]

U.S. retail sales during March increased a modest 0.2% after a 0.4% decline during February. The February drop was a bit shallower than the -0.6% reported last month due to a lessening of that month's decline in sales of motor [...]

The preliminary reading of April consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan fell another 9.1% m/m to 63.2. Consensus expectations had been for a lesser decline to 69.0. The decline dropped sentiment to near its lowest level [...]

The OECD Leading indicators show weakness on a broad scale especially when viewed in their preferred habitat as six month percentage changes. On that basis, however, Japan is showing some more hopeful readings (increases!) even as [...]

Overall import prices surged 2.8% last month. Except for a 3.2% jump last November, the gain was the largest since 1990 and by far outpaced Consensus expectations for a 0.2% uptick. Petroleum prices rose 9.1% as crude oil prices [...]

The U.S. government ran a budget deficit of $48.1B during March, down from last year's March deficit of $96.3B. Despite that decline, for the first six months of FY08 the government ran a budget deficit of $311.4B, up sharply from [...]

The U.S. government ran a budget deficit of $48.1B during March, down from last year's March deficit of $96.3B. Despite that decline, for the first six months of FY08 the government ran a budget deficit of $311.4B, up sharply from [...]