Economy in Brief

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell 16.7% from November as a since-extended tax credit for first home buyers was due to expire. The decline to 5.450M units (SAAR) followed a little-revised [...]

Despite only a modest rise in November durable goods orders, the trend has improved sharply. Durable goods orders rose 0.2% last month after an unrevised 0.6% October decline. The latest increase lifted orders 5.4% above the March low [...]

The jobs market resumed its recent trend toward improvement. The Labor Department reported that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 452,000 from an unrevised 480,000 during the prior week. Claims now stand at the lowest [...]

The jobs market resumed its recent trend toward improvement. The Labor Department reported that initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 452,000 from an unrevised 480,000 during the prior week. Claims now stand at the lowest [...]

Confidence rose again in December for Italian consumers making the string of rises two months long. Still, the overall situation deteriorated by one point to a -57 reading in December leaving the current situation in the 68th [...]

Though the December Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment slipped from mid-month, is 7.6% increase to 72.5 recovered most of the declines during the prior two months. The latest figure fell short of Consensus [...]

Tax breaks continued to spur growth in disposable personal income. Last month's 0.5% gain followed an upwardly revised 0.5% October increase. A decline in tax payments (-25.7% y/y), which began early in 2008, helped spur y/y [...]

Tax breaks continued to spur growth in disposable personal income. Last month's 0.5% gain followed an upwardly revised 0.5% October increase. A decline in tax payments (-25.7% y/y), which began early in 2008, helped spur y/y [...]