The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that overall mortgage applications rose 2.7% last week. So far this month applications have risen 14.3% from the February average. Applications to refinance rose 2.7% but were off roughly one- [...]
- Global| Mar 23 2011
U.S. Mortgage Applications Rise As Interest Rates Fall
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 22 2011
U.S. Mass Layoffs Decline
The overall U.S. employment picture has improved as mass layoffs continue to decline. The Labor Department indicated that layoffs last month of 50 or more persons from a single firm fell 13.4% from February, 2010. Though the rate of [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 22 2011
UK Inflation Takes Another Step Up
The UK HICP and RPIX indices rose sharply in February but slowed their pace from January, when the HICP rose by 0.9% and the RPIX rose by a sharp 1.1%. The measure of core inflation lags. But the core rate has been accelerating as the [...]
- Global| Mar 22 2011
U.S. Chain Store Sales Slip
Sales at chain stores have been roughly unchanged during the last two weeks following the 2.3% jump during the first week of March. Sales for the month so far sales are 2.9% above the February average. During the last ten years there [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 22 2011
U.S. Gasoline Prices Slip From High
The pump price for regular gasoline slipped one penny last week to $3.56 per gallon. Nevertheless prices remained near the highest since October, 2008 and more-than-double the December, 2008 low of $1.61. Typically, pump prices [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 21 2011
U.S. Existing Home Sales Fall And Prices At Ten-Year Low
The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell during February to 4.880M (AR), from a revised January reading of 5.400M, initially reported at 5.560M. The last was well short of Consensus expectations [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 21 2011
Chicago Fed Index Is Negative Due To Consumption & Housing
The Chicago Fed reported that its National Activity Index (CFNAI) remained negative last month at -0.04 versus an upwardly revised -0.01 in January, initially reported at -0.16. The index was down sharply since its March '10 peak, [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Mar 18 2011
EMU Trade Stays in Deficit
In Europe, Euro-Area trade flows are mostly steady with Yr/Yr growth rates in excess of 20%. The balance of trade had swung back into deficit three months ago and it remains there. Exports and imports each are losing a slight bit of [...]
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