Economy in Brief: August 2019

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index edged down 0.5% (+0.3% y/y) in August to 135.1 (1985=100) from 135.8 in July. Despite this slight monthly decrease in the index, it was stronger than the estimate in the Action [...]

A one-month bounce amid trend confusion The French industry climate gauge for manufacturing may have bounced higher in August, but there is no sense in which climate is turning the corner and improving. It’s just a monthly wiggle that [...]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index edged up 0.1% in June, following a 0.2% increase in May. Over the last year, home prices are up 4.8%, the slowest rate of increase and the first time home price appreciation has [...]

The U.S. pump price for gasoline eased to $2.57 per gallon (-8.9% y/y) last week from the prior week's $2.60 per gallon. Prices have fallen for six consecutive weeks. Haver Analytics calculates a series which is adjusted for the [...]

The IFO climate gauge weakened in August, dropping to -1.4 points in diffusion terms (up responses minus down responses) after logging a net 1.2 point diffusion score in July. Since January 2015, this is the lowest reading. But on a [...]

Manufacturers' orders for durable goods rose 2.1% in July (0.7% year-on-year) following a slightly downwardly revised increase of 1.8% gain in June. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 1.4% gain. Orders for transportation [...]

Globally, inflation pressures continue to diminish. In Japan, inflation is creeping along at 0.5% over 12 months and at 0.6% excluding food and energy. Since 2001, U.S., EMU and Japanese inflation rates have remain large below 2%. In [...]

Globally, inflation pressures continue to diminish. In Japan, inflation is creeping along at 0.5% over 12 months and at 0.6% excluding food and energy. Since 2001, U.S., EMU and Japanese inflation rates have remain large below 2%. In [...]