Economy in Brief: 2015

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell slightly to 271,000 (-7.2% y/y) during the week ended November 14 from an unrevised 276,000 in the prior week. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 270,000 initial claims. The [...]

The recent rise in the cost of mortgage financing has muted the number loan applications. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index increased 6.2% last week (10.7% y/y). The rise made up the [...]

Housing starts during October declined 11.0% to 1.060 million (AR) from 1.191 million in September, last month reported as 1.206 million. Starts were at their lowest level since March and 2.0% lower than one year earlier. The latest [...]

Overall industrial output eased 0.2% during October (+0.4% y/y), repeating an unrevised September dip. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 0.1% fall. A 2.5% decline (-1.5% y/y) in utility output accounted for most of last [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo declined 4.6% to 62 during November after rising 6.6% to 65 in October, revised from 64. The figure fell short of expectations for 64 in the [...]

Gasoline prices at the pump fell last week to $2.18 per gallon, down 6 cents from the prior week. Prices were down 24.7% y/y, but remained 6.9% above the January low of $2.04. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the [...]

Zew expectations jumped in November, rising to an index level of 10.4 from 1.9 in October. Still, the level in November is below the level in September which stands at 12.1. The November expectations index standing has been stronger [...]

The Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% during October (0.2% y/y) and countered declines during the prior two months. Prices excluding food & energy increased 0.2% (1.9% y/y) for the second straight month. A 0.2% increase in both [...]