Economy in Brief

During all of last year, housing starts increased 10.8% to 1.107 million units. The level was the highest since 2007 and double the 2009 low. During December, starts eased 2.5% to 1.149 million (AR) from 1.179 million, revised from [...]

The Consumer Price Index eased 0.1% during December following no change in November. The 0.7% twelve-month increase compared to 0.8% during 2014 as inflation during both years was held in check by lower energy costs. Prices excluding [...]

Germany's PPI gauge fell by 0.4% in December as it continued a string of weakness. Manufactures prices also fell, extending their string of declines. Ex-energy manufactures prices were flat in December after a series of drops. Oil [...]

Sluggish growth in worldwide economies continues to put downward pressure on industrial commodity prices. The industrial price index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) deteriorated by 0.7% [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo held steady during January at 60 after falling 7.7% during the prior two months. It matched the level reached last June and has moved in a [...]

ZEW expectations continue to cling to weak values. In January the expectation reading fell to 10.2 from 16.1 in December, below November's 10.4 reading and to its weakest reading since October. The ZEW current reading picked up in [...]

The Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions declined sharply during January to -19.37, the lowest level since March 2009. Expectations had been for -4.0 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The data are reported [...]

Overall industrial output declined 0.4% during December following a 0.9% November fall, revised from -0.6%. It was the third consecutive monthly decline and lessened the 2015 increase to 1.3%, its weakest rise in six years. The Action [...]