Economy in Brief: January 2019

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Index fell 3.0% (-6.0% y/y) during the week ended January 25, about the same as during the prior week. These declines followed sharp increases early in the [...]

ADP indicated in its National Employment Report that private nonfarm payrolls increased 213,000 during January (1.9% y/y) following a 263,000 December gain, revised from 271,000. Expectations had been for a 175,000 rise in the Action [...]

After forming a spike top in confidence in June 2017, French household confidence in the INSEE survey has been on a downswing. This month’s five-point rise in the index to 91 from a low of 86 (the weakest reading since October 2014) [...]

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index deteriorated 5.1% to 120.2 during January (-3.3% y/y) from 126.6 in December, revised from 128.1. It was the lowest confidence level since July 2017, down 12.8% from the peak just three [...]

Retail gasoline prices of $2.26 per gallon last week (-13.5% y/y) were improved by one penny versus the prior week and have risen slightly for three straight weeks. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal [...]

Nominal money and credit flows in the EMU show mostly flat rates of growth over the last three years as well as for the progressive rates within the past year. Credit growth shows some tendency to faster rates of growth but only if [...]

IFO chart plots index numbers, not diffusion values Germany's IFO shows a stark drop off in expectations. Unlike the ZEW survey where expectations were weak but did improve on the month, expectations fell sharply in January in the IFO [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance unexpectedly fell to 199,000 in week ended January 19 from a downwardly revised 212,000 in the previous week. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 216,000 claims. This is the lowest [...]