Economy in Brief

The American Bankers Association indicated last week that loan delinquencies across all types of credit have fallen. Delinquencies in most categories have declined moderately, in some they're down dramatically. Economic recovery [...]

As the ECB is holding policy steady and ECB president, Jean Claude Trichet, is telling us that the expansion will be moderate but uneven, the Markit PMI’s are giving us some really mixed news that makes The Trichet comments look [...]

As the ECB is holding policy steady and ECB president, Jean Claude Trichet, is telling us that the expansion will be moderate but uneven, the Markit PMI’s are giving us some really mixed news that makes The Trichet comments look [...]

Housing starts unwound in December falling by 4% on the month. Still, the drop leaves starts in a more less stabilized environment, bumping along at one of their lowest levels of the cycle. Single unit 2-4 unit and 5-unit starts are [...]

Italian orders surged beyond expectations in November rising by 2.6%, marking three straight months of increases and increases in seven of the last eight months. These statistics register in the sequential growth rates in the table [...]

On the month the PPI was a “what-me-worry’ sort of report. A headline gain of 0.2%, the core flat, the core for consumer goods up a scant 0.1%:. No problem. Still Yr/Yr the PPI headline is up by 4.7% -and it is accelerating its rise [...]

On the month the PPI was a “what-me-worry’ sort of report. A headline gain of 0.2%, the core flat, the core for consumer goods up a scant 0.1%:. No problem. Still Yr/Yr the PPI headline is up by 4.7% -and it is accelerating its rise [...]

According to The National Association of Home Builders, housing market activity slipped again from its earlier improved level. The Association reported that its January Composite Housing Market Index edged lower to 15 from 16 in [...]