Economy in Brief

Housing activity firmed in October according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo report on housing market activity. The Composite Housing Market Index jumped four points to 18, its highest level since May of last [...]

Last week the pump price for a gallon of regular gasoline increased six cents to $3.48, the highest level since late-September. Nevertheless, prices remained down versus May when they averaged $3.91. Retail prices usually start to [...]

Pricing power is up at the wholesale level. The September producer price index for finished goods jumped 0.8% after an unrevised no-change during August. The figure compared to Consensus expectations for a 0.2% rise, according to the [...]

Japan's disasters have left an indelible mark on its economy and on the global economy as well. As an important manufacturer and exporter Japan is a source for parts as well as goods, especially in the auto industry. Parts and goods [...]

Singapore, the City State of some 5.2 million people, announced its advanced estimate of a 5.9% increase in third quarter year on year growth in real GDP, a significant rise from the 1% of the second quarter. The advanced estimates [...]

The U.S. Government's budget deficit for all of FY 2011 was $1,298.6B versus $1,294.2B in FY 2010, according to figures released late-Friday by the U.S. Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget. As a percent of GDP the deficit [...]

Industrial production rose just 0.2% last month following no change during August, originally reported as +0.1%. The latest increase matched Consensus expectations, according to Action Economics. Factory sector output was somewhat [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that its Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions ticked up to -8.48 in October. Nevertheless it remained roughly where it's been since June. The number was weaker than [...]