Economy in Brief: May 2009

The French consumer is gradually beginning to feel better. At a value of -40, confidence is up by a tick in May following a one point rising trends that is in place for several months. The index is still low in the bottom 13 [...]

Perhaps consumer spending is holding together after an earlier indication of retrenchment. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers-Goldman Sachs Index, store sales last week recovered most of the prior week's [...]

Both home sales and home prices rose slightly last month, according to the National Association of Realtors. The overriding message, however, was that lower prices can spur sales. Sales of existing homes rose 2.9% last month to 4.68M [...]

The news that the U.S. economy, notably the consumer, is recovering from the Winter doldrums has given further life to energy prices. Suspecting that a more confident consumer will drive further, regular gasoline prices last week [...]

Both home sales and home prices rose slightly last month, according to the National Association of Realtors. The overriding message, however, was that lower prices can spur sales. Sales of existing homes rose 2.9% last month to 4.68M [...]

Consumers' attitudes are rising even further on expectations that the worst of the recession has passed. The May index of consumer confidence, reported by the Conference Board, improved for the third consecutive month and the latest [...]

Order trends have deteriorated for both EMU domestic and foreign orders but each series also shows signs of a turn. Three month rates of growth are not as bad as six month rates of growth although six month rates of growth are worse [...]

The Chicago Federal Reserve Bank reported that its National Activity Index improved during April to the highest level since October of last year. The reading of -2.06 was up from a downwardly revised March figure. Both figures were up [...]