Economy in Brief

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank indicated that its December index of regional factory sector activity improved further to 24.3, its highest level since April 2005. The latest easily outpaced Consensus expectations for a m/m [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance declined last week to 420,000 from 423,000 during the prior period (revised from 421,000). The trend level continued downward as the four-week moving average fell to 422,750, the lowest since [...]

The services and MFG PMIs went their separate and opposite ways in the Zone in December. The MFG PMI rose by 1.26 points as the services PMI fell by 1.49 points. The MFG rise puts it in the top 12% of gains since the series' [...]

Activity in the housing sector has stabilized at a low level. That's the continuing message from the Commerce Department's housing starts data. Starts rose 3.9% last month to 555,000 (AR) units from 534,000 during October, initially [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that its December Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions recovered to 10.57 after its November decline to -11.14. The figure surpassed Consensus expectations for 5.0, [...]

The distributive trades industry, a key intermediary sector, is showing upward momentum. Sales are up to a +21 net diffusion reading after slackening over two months. Orders rose sharply in the month also after a two month lull. Sales [...]

The National Association of Home Builders reported that their index of housing market activity held at 16 this month from an unrevised 16 in November. The level of 16, in fact, has been the average for the past year. The latest figure [...]

U.S. industrial output growth recently has been hostage to variable weather influences. Growth in the factory alone, however, has been stable. For November, industrial production overall rose 0.4% and made up a 0.2% October decline, [...]