Economy in Brief

Total business inventories increased 0.3% during August (3.1% y/y) following a 0.4% July rise. The figure was accompanied by a 0.3% gain (4.2% y/y) in business sales which came after a 0.6% July increase. As a result, the inventory- [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that their total mortgage market index jumped 6.4% last week but still was down 40.1% year-to-year. Home purchase mortgage applications increased 2.3% last week (-0.4% y/y) but remained 16.4% [...]

The September consumer price index matched expectations and increased 0.2% (1.5% y/y). That followed an unrevised 0.1% uptick during August. Prices excluding food and energy again rose a minimal 0.1% (1.7% y/y) and contrasted with [...]

Job growth has ratcheted down. The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated a 130,000 rise (1.8% y/y) in non-farm private sector jobs during October, the weakest gain in six months. It followed downwardly revised increases of [...]

The producer price index for finished goods was a mixed bag in September with only a modest change in total, which eased 0.1% (+ 0.3% y/y) following August's 0.3% increase. Consensus expectations looked for a 0.2% rise. Prices [...]

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell to 71.2 this month versus 80.2 during September, last month reported as 79.7. The level of the confidence index peaked at 82.1 in June. Consensus expectations were for a decline to [...]

The 0.9% August gain in the seasonally adjusted Case-Shiller 20 City Home Price Index pulled the twelve-month rise to 12.8%, its greatest since February 2006. Notwithstanding this result, the 3-month annualized rate of increase fell [...]

Retail sales and food services posted a 0.1% slip (+3.2% y/y) during September following an unrevised 0.2% August rise. A 0.1% uptick had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. A 2.2% decline (+5.1% y/y) in motor [...]