Economy in Brief: February 2018

Import prices increased 1.0% during January (3.6% y/y) for the second time in three months. A 0.6% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. Petroleum import prices [...]

U.K. retail sales growth rates have been slipping steadily since late 2016. As the U.K. gets closer to the Brexit action point, it loses more business, more jobs and more confidence. As one of the new strategies, Britain will try to [...]

Total housing starts increased 9.7% (7.3% y/y) during January to 1.326 million (AR) from 1.209 million in December, revised from 1.192 million. It was the highest level of starts since October 2016. A level of 1.227 million starts had [...]

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo remained unchanged (+10.8% y/y) at 72 during February. The reading matched expectations in the Informa Global Markets Survey. The NAHB [...]

In December, EMU exports rose by a strong 1.7% as imports gained 0.9% with the net result of driving the euro area trade surplus even higher. The surplus is the third highest of all time for the euro area at a time that U.S. President [...]

The Empire State Manufacturing Index of General Business Conditions slid 4.6 points in February to 13.1, well below the median expectations of 18.0 from the in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. This is the lowest level since July [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology increased 0.4% in January following an unchanged reading in December. The year-on-year (y/y) gain edged up to 2.7%. A 0.3% January rise had been expected in the [...]

Initial claims foe jobless insurance fell to 221,000 (-6.8% y/y) during the week ended February 3 from an unrevised 230,000 claims in the prior week. Expectations had been for 234,000 claims in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]