Economy in Brief: April 2007

Italian consumers have turned sharply negative according to the April ISAE survey of consumer confidence*.The overall index declined 4.3% from March. Consumers' confidence in the general economic situation declined 4.0% and confidence [...]

The story of consumer confidence is that the index is now just one month off its peak reading for this expansion cycle—not exactly the kind of thing to get worried about. The present situation sub-index is also one-month off its peak [...]

Existing home sales fell sharply in March but only after a similar sharp ramping up over the previous two months. The moving average of sales tells a better story falling by only a modest amount in the month. Meanwhile, home prices [...]

Existing home sales fell sharply in March but only after a similar sharp ramping up over the previous two months. The moving average of sales tells a better story falling by only a modest amount in the month. Meanwhile, home prices [...]

Mortgage lending data for the United Kingdom compiled by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Building Societies Association (BSA) were released today. In addition to building societies, the CML includes banks and others [...]

The index is not a leading index for activity. It was not even declining ahead of the 1973 recession, for example. But the Chicago Fed sees a different role for this index. On its web site the Chicago Fed says this: ‘The 85 economic [...]

The index is not a leading index for activity. It was not even declining ahead of the 1973 recession, for example. But the Chicago Fed sees a different role for this index. On its web site the Chicago Fed says this: ‘The 85 economic [...]

UK retail sales rose 0.3% in volume in March, according to ONS data reported today. This followed a 1.6% jump in February, revised from 1.4% reported initially and more than recouping a 1.5% drop in January. At least one forecast [...]