Economy in Brief: 2015

New home sales during August climbed 5.7% last month to 552,000 units (SAAR) from 522,000 during July, revised from 507,000. It was the highest level of sales since February 2008. Sales of 515,000 were expected in the Action Economics [...]

New orders for durable goods fell 2.0% (-1.9% y/y) during August following a 1.9% July increase, revised from 2.0%. The decline matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During the last ten years, there has been an [...]

The German Ifo index showed improvement in September in three of its four sector indices. Current conditions eroded, but expectations improved. The index had been expected to weaken in the month. Instead, the Ifo index rose. The [...]

The private sector PMI headline for EMU stepped back to 53.9 in September from 54.3 in August. This leaves the headline index back at its July level. Both the manufacturing gauge and the services gauge stepped back with manufacturing [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index increased 13.9% last week (34.9% y/y), recovering declines in the prior two weeks. Applications to refinance loans led the increase with a 17.7% [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index increased 13.9% last week (34.9% y/y), recovering declines in the prior two weeks. Applications to refinance loans led the increase with a 17.7% [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that its Index of Nonmanufacturing Sector Activity rose to 29.3 and stood at the highest level in three months. Nevertheless, the reading was the third consecutive figure below the [...]

The U.S. House Price Index from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) increased 0.6% during July (5.8% y/y), the quickest rate of increase since February. It followed an unrevised 0.2% June gain. The three-month rate of increase [...]