Economy in Brief

The Conference Board consumer confidence measure rose sharply to 72.2 in Oct from 68.4 in Sept. it was last higher in Feb 2008. The present situation is better in Oct too, rising to 56.2 from 48.7 it was last higher in Sept 2008. [...]

An expanded employment survey sample for the Automatic Data Processing (ADP) payroll gauge shows a net gain in private payrolls of 158,000 jobs for October. This is stronger than the new ADP survey reading in September of 113,000 and [...]

Disposable personal income grew 0.4% during September, the most in six months and a pickup from the negligible 0.1% August uptick. However, adjusted for price inflation, disposable personal income slipped marginally (+1.9% y/y) after [...]

By comparison with Italy, France and the UK, German consumers are feeling pretty good. Expectations are beginning to falter. But climate continues to show some very gradual improvement. German confidence in is the top 17% of its [...]

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for October increased to 82.6 from an unrevised 78.3 in September. The reading at mid-month was 83.1. The latest number was the highest since September 2007 and expectations [...]

Economic growth recovered somewhat last quarter. Real GDP increased at a 2.0% (2.3% y/y) annual rate, up from the unrevised 1.3% Q2 gain. Consensus expectations were for a 1.8% rise. Improved growth in domestic final sales drove the [...]

Durable goods orders recovered 9.9% (2.5% y/y) last month following the 13.1% falloff during August. The improvement was better than the 7.0% Consensus forecast. A 31.7% rise in orders for transportation equipment led the rebound as [...]

Pending sales of single-family homes ticked up 0.3% last month after a sharp and unrevised 2.6% August decline, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). While sales have risen nearly one-third from the 2010 low, the [...]