Economy in Brief: 2016

Inventories at the wholesale level notched 0.1% higher (-0.1% y/y) during September following a 0.1% August slip, revised from -0.2%. The advance report had indicated a 0.2% September rise. Inventories of durable goods declined 0.4% [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index declined 1.2% last week (+17.6% y/y), the same as during the prior week. Refinancing applications fell 2.7% (+22.7% y/y) following a 1.6% shortfall. [...]

Prices in the energy sector remained under pressure last week. Natural gas prices declined to $2.43 per mmbtu last week, prices have fallen from $3.15 just three weeks ago, and equaled the lowest level since early June. They remained [...]

The labor market improved further during September. The total job openings rate increased to 3.7% from an unrevised to 3.6% in August. It remained down. however, from the record high of 3.9% in July. The private sector job openings [...]

The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Small Business Optimism Index increased 0.9% during October to 94.9 following two months of slight decline. Optimism remained down 5.4% versus its peak in December [...]

To and fro with output gains and losses The nearly 2% step back in German output in September follows an even stronger gain of 3% in August. But that has followed a sizeable drop in July and the see-saw patterned extends farther back. [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $19.3 billion (6.5% y/y) during September following a $26.8 billion August rise, revised from $25.9 billion. An $18.0 billion increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

The Labor Market Conditions Index (LMCI) from the Federal Reserve Board includes 19 indicators of labor market activity, covering the broad categories of unemployment and underemployment. These include jobs, workweeks, wages, [...]