Economy in Brief: September 2017

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending home sales fell 2.6% (-2.6% y/y) during August to an index level of 106.3 (2001=100). That followed an unrevised 0.8% July decline, falling to the lowest level since [...]

New orders for durable goods increased 1.7% (5.1% y/y) during August following a little-revised 6.8% July decline. A 1.0% increase in orders had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The rise in orders reflected [...]

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index eased 0.5% (+15.7% y/y) during September to 119.8 following a 0.3% August rise, revised from 2.4%. The index was 4.1% below its March peak. The Action Economics Forecast Survey looked for [...]

Sales of new single-family homes fell 3.4% (-1.2% y/y) to 560,000 during August, following a 5.5% drop in July to 580,000, revised from 571,000. August sales were at the lowest level since December. The figures do not include the full [...]

French business climate edged lower in September but is still a very high-valued reading. At 100.3 it is down from 110.8 in August but the standing is still at its 84th percentile, higher historically only 16% of the time. The recent [...]

Regular gasoline prices at the pump declined to $2.58 per gallon last week (+16.1% y/y), the lowest level in four weeks. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The seasonally [...]

Regular gasoline prices at the pump declined to $2.58 per gallon last week (+16.1% y/y), the lowest level in four weeks. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The seasonally [...]

The IFO business situation diffusion index backed off to 35.1 in September from 37.1 in August. Expressed in index terms it fell to 115.2 in September from 115.9 in August. Any way you slice it, the survey shows some weakening in the [...]