Economy in Brief: November 2015

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index increased 0.6% during October following two months of slight decline. September's 0.1% dip was revised from -0.2%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey called for a 0.4% October rise. [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index for November turned slightly positive following two straight negative readings. At 1.9, the latest figure was the highest since [...]

EMU posted a wider trade surplus in September as that surplus moved up to 20.1bln from 19.0bln Euros in August. But a widening surplus does not mean that all is well in EMU or in the rest of the world. EMU exports rose by 1.1% in [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell slightly to 271,000 (-7.2% y/y) during the week ended November 14 from an unrevised 276,000 in the prior week. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 270,000 initial claims. The [...]

The recent rise in the cost of mortgage financing has muted the number loan applications. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index increased 6.2% last week (10.7% y/y). The rise made up the [...]

Housing starts during October declined 11.0% to 1.060 million (AR) from 1.191 million in September, last month reported as 1.206 million. Starts were at their lowest level since March and 2.0% lower than one year earlier. The latest [...]

Overall industrial output eased 0.2% during October (+0.4% y/y), repeating an unrevised September dip. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected a 0.1% fall. A 2.5% decline (-1.5% y/y) in utility output accounted for most of last [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo declined 4.6% to 62 during November after rising 6.6% to 65 in October, revised from 64. The figure fell short of expectations for 64 in the [...]