Economy in Brief

During April the U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened to $63.4B from a little revised $61.9B in March. The deficit fell short of Consensus expectations for $65.1B. The latest deficit was the deepest since the near-record in January of [...]

During April the U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened to $63.4B from a little revised $61.9B in March. The deficit fell short of Consensus expectations for $65.1B. The latest deficit was the deepest since the near-record in January of [...]

It was expected that the ECB would raise its refinancing rate at today's scheduled meeting, and indeed the Governing Council lifted it to 2.75% from 2.50%. However, what was not at all expected were similar kinds of moves by central [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 35,000 w/w to the lowest level since early April. The decline last week to 302,000 followed a slightly revised 9,000 increase the prior period and may have been biased down by the [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell 35,000 w/w to the lowest level since early April. The decline last week to 302,000 followed a slightly revised 9,000 increase the prior period and may have been biased down by the [...]

Inflation is becoming a hot topic once again. For instance, Austria's wholesale prices for May, which were released today, jumped 3.4% year-on-year, their largest increase since March 2005. Fuel has the main upward thrust, but other [...]

Inflation expectations were piqued this week by Fed Chairman Bernanke's comments that the three-month and six-month core PCE inflation figures at 3.0% and 2.3% were "unwelcome developments." As a result, the yield on the inflation- [...]

The total number of mortgage applications fell 1.4% last week and lowered the level in early June 4.8% below the May average which fell 2.2% from April. Purchase applications were stable w/w but because of earlier declines the opening [...]