Economy in Brief: 2016

Industrial output increased 0.6% (-0.7% y/y) during June following a 0.3% May fall, revised from -0.4%. A 0.2% rise in output had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Factory sector production improved 0.4% last [...]

Strengthening energy prices continue to be offset by moderate inflation elsewhere. The June Consumer Price Index increased 0.2% (1.0% y/y), the same as during the prior month. These gains follow of a 0.4% April rise. A 0.3% increase [...]

Total business inventories edged up 0.2% m/m (1.0% y/y) following an unrevised 0.1% m/m increase in April. Total business sales slowed to a 0.2% m/m rise (-1.4% y/y) in May after a 0.8% m/m jump in April (revised down slightly from [...]

Total retail sales & spending at restaurants increased 0.6% during June (2.7% y/y) following a 0.2% May gain, revised from 0.5%. The rise compared to expectations for 0.1% growth in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Healthy [...]

Initial unemployment insurance claims held steady at 254,000 (-8.6% y/y) during the week ended July 9. It was the lowest level since mid-April and near a record low. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 265,000 claims. The [...]

EMU area and country level inflation continues to coalesce around the zero mark as it has since late 2014. There are hints of inflation divergence cropping us as the chart shows Italian inflation moving even lower while German [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index increased 0.5% (0.3% y/y) in June following an unrevised 0.4% May gain. It was the quickest rise since May of last year. A 0.3% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

So far in FY'16, the federal government's budget deficit totaled $400.8 billion, up 26.7% versus $316.4 billion in the first nine months of FY'15. That result was highlighted in today's U.S. Treasury Department report of a $6.3 [...]