Economy in Brief

The index of Leading Economic Indicators, published by the Conference Board, increased 0.5% (2.0% y/y) during February after a revised 0.5% January increase, initially reported as 0.2%. Eighty percent of the component series had a [...]

The EMU PMIs for March have turned lower, after a short hopeful push higher. The services sector is pretty much without upward momentum as the chart plainly shows. Its recent bump up is really nothing more than that, a bump. But even [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance inched up to 336,000 during the week ended March 16 from 334,000 during the prior week (revised from 332,000). Consensus expectations were for 340,000 claims. The four week moving average of claims [...]

As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee today left the Federal funds rate in a "range from 0 to 1/4 percent". The Fed funds rate has remained unchanged since late-2008 at its lowest level ever. The discount rate also was left [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association index of total mortgage applications declined 7.1% (12.2% y/y) last week following a 4.7% decline during the prior period. Home purchase applications posted a 3.9% decline (+6.4% y/y). Applications to [...]

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs reported that chain store sales gained 1.4% last week (2.3% y/y) to the highest level since early-January. These gains pulled sales so March sales 1.9% above the February [...]

The pump price for a gallon of regular gasoline fell by just 1 penny last week to $3.70 per gallon (-4.4% y/y), the third consecutive week of marginal decline. Despite the decline, prices remain up by 44 cents (13.6%) since the mid- [...]

Germany's Zew index which surveys the assessments of select financial experts in Germany continued to rise in March. This Zew expectations index rose to 48.5 in March from 48.2 in February. While continuing a series of gains, the [...]