Economy in Brief: January 2019

Retail gasoline prices were unchanged at $2.25 per gallon last week (-12.3% year-on-year). During 2018 prices ranged between the late-May high of $2.96 and the year-end low of $2.27. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that its Nonmanufacturing Business Index of current conditions at the company level increased to 42.4 during November........... The expectations index for November rose to 53.6 [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell a greater-than-expected 6.4% in December to 4.990 million units (SAAR). This was the lowest reading and largest month-on-month decline since a regulatory- [...]

The ZEW indexes each month center on Germany where the survey occurs and where the financial experts reside. The focus is on Germany's economy but also with a global outlook. We have shifted our attention to monitor the global outlook [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell a greater-than-expected 6.4% in December to 4.990 million units (SAAR). This was the lowest reading and largest month-on-month decline since a regulatory- [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported that its Nonmanufacturing Business Index of current conditions at the company level slumped further to -0.2 in January from 6.4 in December and 41.2 in November. 31.3% of respondents [...]

State labor markets were generally strong in December, though only eight were reported to have had statistically significant gains from November. The three largest increases (Texas, Florida, and Georgia) totaled more than 77,000, [...]

U.K. retail sales fell by a sharp 1% in December. Monthly sales last fell by 1% nine months ago and last fell by more than 1% 19 months ago. The drop in sales is truly sharp. Purchases in the month of food, beverages and tobacco rose [...]