Economy in Brief: 2012

The Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions for October continued to suggest lower levels of activity. At -6.16 the figure was improved slightly from September but remained near the lowest level of the economic [...]

During August, business inventories rose 0.6% following a 0.8% July rise. Though the y/y trend gain fell, these latest gains were elevated versus the Q2 average of 0.2%. Behind the quicker increase was a 0.9% rise in merchant [...]

The Federal Government Budget Deficit fell to $1,089B for all of FY'12 from $1,298B in FY'11, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Treasury. In a sign of economic improvement, part of that shrinkage owed to a $75.0B [...]

The consumer remained in a spending mood last month. Retail sales jumped 1.1% following an upwardly revised 1.2% August rise, last month reported as 0.9%. July's 0.7% increase was upwardly revised as well. A 0.8% gain in September [...]

The Federal Government Budget Deficit fell to $1,089B for all of FY'12 from $1,298B in FY'11, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Treasury. In a sign of economic improvement, part of that shrinkage owed to a $75.0B [...]

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for mid-October jumped to 83.1 from an unrevised 78.3 in September. The latest number was the highest since September 2007 and easily surpassed expectations for 77.7. During the [...]

The producer price index for finished goods jumped again last month. The 1.1% increase (2.2% y/y) followed a 1.7% August rise and beat expectations for a 0.7% gain. Conversely, the unchanged level (2.3% y/y) of prices excluding food & [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance fell sharply to 339,000 during the week ended October 6 versus a revised 369,000 during the prior week, initially reported as 367,000. Consensus expectations were for 368,000. The four-week moving [...]