Economy in Brief

• Factory sector growth has helped raise prices. • Commodity price strength is broad-based. Growth in factory sector output has been a mainstay of the economy's recovery. During the last six months, industrial production has risen by [...]

No major central bank is experiencing any trouble with accelerating inflation at the moment. The virus has recirculated and that is slowing things down again keeping slack conditions present globally although also creating some [...]

• A decline in income more than offsets lower principal & interest payments. • October's slip in affordability follows upward revisions to earlier data. The National Association of Realtors reported that its Fixed Rate Mortgage [...]

• Food & energy prices are firm again. • Core goods prices rise moderately. • Service prices hold steady. The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.1% (0.8% y/y) during November following a 0.3% October gain. It was the [...]

• Total borrowing in U.S. economy = 13.6% of GDP in Q3, down sharply from 66.7% • Government sector borrowing less in Q3 but still quite sizable. • Household borrowing increases with low mortgage rates. After the massive amount of [...]

• Reduction due to calendar shifts. • Revenue decline led by a drop in personal tax receipts. • Outlay surge driven by higher unemployment benefit payments. The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal budget deficit [...]

French manufacturing IP rose by 0.5% in October after a 2.3% gain in September. IP is up at a 48.4% annual rate over three months, at a 129.7% annual rate over six months and yet still lower by 5.7% over 12 months. Such has been the [...]

• Retail price inflation remains under control. • Goods prices continue to firm y/y. • Service price inflation is decelerating. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% (1.2% y/y) during November following no change in October. A 0.1% [...]