Economy in Brief: January 2009

The recent rise in regular gasoline prices stabilized last week after three consecutive weeks of increase. At an average $1.84 per gallon prices about matched the prior week's level but that still was up 13 cents from the recent low, [...]

The S&P/Case-Shiller 20 Home Price Composite Index fell another 1.9% during November. That pulled prices down 18.2% during the last twelve months and by 25.2% since their peak in May 2006. The series dates back only to 2000. The [...]

The Conference Board reported that its December index of consumer confidence fell to a record low last month. The drop to a level of 38.0 followed a November uptick and it lowered Confidence by more than one-half from its year ago [...]

The Conference Board reported that its December index of consumer confidence fell to a record low last month. The drop to a level of 38.0 followed a November uptick and it lowered Confidence by more than one-half from its year ago [...]

Last week, Robert Brusca noted how the global slowdown was affecting international trade by citing Italy's trade data. Further evidence of the decline in world trade became available today with the release of December trade data for [...]

While headline inflation continues to lose steam in Canada as it does everywhere else in the world, Canada’s core rate is not on that same page. Over three-months core inflation has escalated to a pace of +2.6% from under 2% over [...]

For December, the National Activity Index (CFNAI) from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank continued lower into recession territory. The latest reading of -3.26 was near it's historic low. Since 1970 there has been a 75% correlation [...]

The Conference Board reported that the December composite index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3% after an unrevised 0.4% November decline. The peak for the index was in July of last year and the six-month percent change of [...]