Economy in Brief: 2016

Regular gasoline prices declined to $2.18 per gallon last week (-20.5% y/y). Prices were down five cents from the week earlier and were 22 cents lower than early last month, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Prices are lower [...]

U.K. optimism fell sharply in the Q3 CBI industrial trends survey by the Confederation of British Industry. The better-minus-worse (or up-minus-down) index of expectations fell to -47, a figure that has been this low or lower only 5% [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas indicated that its industrial activity in the state was little-changed during July, ending sharp declines since early last year. Its General Business Activity index rose to -1.3 this month from -18.3 [...]

The decline in the overall U.S. unemployment rate has stabilized this year, averaging 4.9% versus 5.3% during 2015. It still was half its late-2009 peak, and great variation amongst individual states continued. In today's state labor [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index declined in July to -2.9 from an unrevised 4.7 in June. Despite the lower reading, it remained up from December's low of -10.2. The [...]

The National Activity Index from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago increased to 0.16 during June from -0.56 in May. Nevertheless, it still suggested below-trend overall economic growth. The three-month moving average reinforced this [...]

Sales of existing homes rose 1.1% (3.0% y/y) during June to 5.570 million (AR) after a May increase to 5.510 million, revised from 5.530 million. The latest level was the highest since February 2007. It surpassed expectations for 5.47 [...]

The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.3% during June (0.7% y/y), following an unrevised 0.2% May decline. Expectations had been for a 0.2% rise in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The [...]