Economy in Brief

Weakness in the housing market was reinforced with this month's readings. Yesterday, the figures on sales of existing single-family homes slipped. Today's reading indicated that sales of new homes collapsed. The 8.1% decline to [...]

The sour mood adopted by the consumer this summer seems to be brightening. For November, the full-month consumer sentiment reading of 71.6 was a marked improvement from mid-month. The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance dropped last week to 407,000 from 444,000 in the November 13 week (revised from 439,000). This was the lowest weekly number since July 19, 2008. The 4-week moving average, which smoothes out [...]

Personal income may be finally on the mend. Overall income recovered 0.5% last month after a September dip and a 0.5% August gain, both of which were slightly higher than reported last month. A 0.4% gain last month had been expected. [...]

It may just be a temporary respite, but the pump price for regular gasoline eased last week to $2.88 per gallon, off a penny from the prior week. Nevertheless, prices have risen six cents this month after last month's ten cent gain. [...]

Personal income may be finally on the mend. Overall income recovered 0.5% last month after a September dip and a 0.5% August gain, both of which were slightly higher than reported last month. A 0.4% gain last month had been expected. [...]

Personal income may be finally on the mend. Overall income recovered 0.5% last month after a September dip and a 0.5% August gain, both of which were slightly higher than reported last month. A 0.4% gain last month had been expected. [...]

·The overall indicator* of the business climate in France was 104 in November, unchanged from October. The indicator is now 4 points above its long term average and 33 points above its low point of 71 in March 2009, but still below [...]