Economy in Brief

Sales of light motor vehicles during April remained near the four-year high. Unit vehicle sales edged up 0.3% m/m to 14.42M (AR), according to Autodata Corporation. That sales rate was 9.5% higher than last April and remained nearly [...]

Estimates of manufacturing activity in April by purchasing managers in the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom were released today. The majority of those in the United States and Canada were increasingly optimistic. [...]

The value of construction put-in-place ticked 0.1% higher during March following a 1.4% February decline, initially reported as -1.1%. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.4% rise. Private sector spending increased 0.7% (11.5% y/y) [...]

Factory sector activity continued on the mend last month. The April ISM Composite Index of industrial sector activity rose to 54.8 from an unrevised 53.4 in March. The gain compared to Consensus expectations for a slip to 53.0. The [...]

For drivers of motor vehicles, fuel prices are finally providing some relief. The pump price of regular gasoline fell four cents last week to $3.83 per gallon, down for the fourth straight week. Haver Analytics' seasonally-adjusted [...]

The tide is rising and gaining momentum against austerity. The Dutch government was brought down last week over the issue and the Socialist candidate, Francois Hollande, who promises to fight the fiscal pact signed by members of the [...]

Consumers adopted a more conservative approach to their income last month. Personal income increased 0.4% (3.2% y/y) during March after a 0.3% February increase, last month reported as 0.2%. Last month's increase reflected a 0.3% rise [...]

German confidence is edging down, now for the second month in a row. Economic confidence is still on the rise but Income and buying confidence are on the retreat. Overall confidence is higher than the May value only 25% of the time. [...]