Economy in Brief

• Factory activity rebounds and exceeds its recent high. • Component improvement is broad-based. • Price index surges. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that its Composite Index of Manufacturing Sector Activity jumped [...]

• Gasoline prices improve slightly. • Crude oil prices edge higher. • Natural gas prices decline again. The price of regular gasoline rose to $2.25 per gallon (-12.8% y/y) in the week ended January 4 from $2.24 per gallon in the [...]

• Monthly improvement is fifth since May. • Residential strength offsets continuing decline in nonresidential. • Public sector building eases. The value of construction put-in-place increased 0.9% (3.8% y/y) during November following [...]

Early reporting Asia economies show that manufacturing PMIs are recovering. In December, the seven early reporters show only Malaysia with a PMI gauge below 50 indicating manufacturing sector contraction. And Malaysia at 49.1 has a [...]

• • • PREVIOUS>>>>>>Seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased to 803,000 in the week ended December 19.......... Data on weekly unemployment claims going back to 1967 are contained in Haver's WEEKLY [...]

• • • PREVIOUS>>>>>>>Seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased to 803,000 in the week ended December 19.......... Data on weekly unemployment claims going back to 1967 are contained in Haver's WEEKLY [...]

• State initial claims lower than forecast. • PUA initial claims also down. • Legislation renewing PUA and PEUC through March 11 was signed last weekend. Initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased again in the week ended [...]

China's manufacturing PMI backtracked slightly in December, falling to 51.9 after reaching 52.1 in November. It is still above its October level. However, at a level below 52, the indicator is signaling a still very modest [...]