Economy in Brief: October 2006

The total number of mortgage applications ticked 0.5% higher last week following two consecutive weeks of hefty decline, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Due to a sharp increase at the end of last month, the average [...]

A collection of releases on confidence and consumer spending in Europe were released today. Producer confidence in the Netherlands increased in October while consumer confidence held steady. In Italy consumer confidence fell in [...]

The retail price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline fell another two cents last week to an average $2.21 (-15.2% y/y) and was to the lowest level since December of last year. The spot market price for a gallon of regular [...]

Chain store sales dropped 1.1% last week and gave back all of the gains of the prior two periods, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)-UBS. The decline lowered the change in October sales to -0.4% versus [...]

Chain store sales dropped 1.1% last week and gave back all of the gains of the prior two periods, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)-UBS. The decline lowered the change in October sales to -0.4% versus [...]

The bank of Israel kept its key interest rate at 5.5% today. Speculation that the rate might have been cut was fed by the sharp decline in the September seasonally unadjusted consumer price index that declined by almost 0.9% from [...]

The bank of Israel kept its key interest rate at 5.5% today. Speculation that the rate might have been cut was fed by the sharp decline in the September seasonally unadjusted consumer price index that declined by almost 0.9% from [...]

At $58.51 yesterday for a barrel of WTI crude oil, the price has stabilized after falling below $60 early last week. Reflation probably is too strong a word for the likely, prospective path of oil prices, but several factors argue [...]