Economy in Brief: September 2012

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for September rose to 78.3 from an unrevised 74.3 in August. The figure was down, however, from the mid-September reading of 79.2. The latest number was slightly short of [...]

Adjusted for price inflation, disposable personal income fell 0.3% during August. On a y/y basis, growth held up at 1.8% but three-month growth was slightly negative for the first time since November. The monthly decline reflected a [...]

Durable goods orders fell by an outsized 13.2% (-6.7% y/y) last month following a lessened 3.3% advance during July. A 4.5% decline had been the Consensus forecast. Fewer orders for transportation equipment led the decline with a [...]

Last quarter's real GDP growth was unexpectedly revised lower to a 1.3% annual rate following the second estimate of 1.7% growth. Growth was expected to be little-changed. The revision reflected a 0.2 percentage point subtraction from [...]

Pending sales of single-family homes fell 2.6% last month and reversed the July gain, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Sales have risen nearly one-third from the 2010 low. Sales drooped last month across most [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance fell to 359,000 during the week ended September 22 versus a revised 385,000 during the prior week. The latest was the lowest since the third week of July. The four-week moving average of initial [...]

Durable goods orders fell by an outsized 13.2% (-6.7% y/y) last month following a lessened 3.3% advance during July. A 4.5% decline had been the Consensus forecast. Fewer orders for transportation equipment led the decline with a [...]

French household confidence edged lower in Sept to 85 from 86. At that level it is in the bottom 11% of all values back to Sept 1991. It’s a weak showing but not one that is continuing weaken that rapidly…still it is continuing to [...]