Economy in Brief

The Empire State Index of General Business Conditions in New York's manufacturing industries turned positive in June with a rise to 11.65 following a one blip into negative territory during May. The new orders component jumped to [...]

With a 0.3% rise in May, industrial production recovered all of the prior month's deepened 0.3% decline. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.2% gain. The headline figure masked a sharper improvement in factory sector output which [...]

The CPI-U fell 0.1% in May, the first m/m decline since last July and compared to Consensus expectations for a 0.1% rise. During the first five months of 2005 the CPI is up 4.7% at an annual rate. Pricing power less food & energy [...]

The CPI-U fell 0.1% in May, the first m/m decline since last July and compared to Consensus expectations for a 0.1% rise. During the first five months of 2005 the CPI is up 4.7% at an annual rate. Pricing power less food & energy [...]

May Inflation rates in four European countries--France, Finland, Spain and the U.K. were released today. The consumer price index in the U.K. rose 1.9% continuing at the seven year high rate reached in March. In each of the Euro Zone [...]

The Small Business Optimism Index reported by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) improved 1.0% in May and recovered less than a third of the prior month's decline. The percentage of firms expecting the economy to [...]

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for 3Q '05 indicated further growth in U.S. jobs. The index of hiring intentions held at 21 where it has been for three quarters, indicating that a net 21% of 16,000 employers expect to increase [...]

Chain store sales increased 0.6% last week and added to the 0.4% gain during the opening week of June according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)-UBS survey. The increases left sales so far in June 0.5% below the [...]