Economy in Brief: November 2010

The Conference Board reported that its Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose 0.5% during October after an upwardly revised 0.5% September increase that was initially reported at 0.3%. The latest reading was a record high. Again, [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that a 14.4% w/w decline in mortgage applications lowered them to the lowest level since July. Nevertheless, applications remained up more than one-third from last year's low. Last week's [...]

Earlier signs of stability in the housing sector reversed during October. Housing starts fell 11.7% last month to 519,000 (AR) from a downwardly revised September level. The latest was the lowest since April of last year and starts [...]

Yes! Spain's GDP edged ever so slightly higher in 2010-Q3 spurred by weakness; weakness in imports. Imports fell at an 18.7% rate annualized in the quarter and since imports SUBTRACT from GDP the drop spurred GDP growth in Spain in [...]

Consumer pricing power continues to suffer from inadequate economic growth and low levels of liquidity (money, loans, & earnings). That was clear in the report that the October Consumer Price Index ticked up just 0.2% after a 0.1% [...]

Other than energy prices, inflation is tame. So often observed, it could be considered humdrum. For last month, however, it's an appropriate way to describe producer pricing power. The U.S. Producer Price Index for finished goods rose [...]

The National Association of Home Builders reported that their index of housing market activity improved to 16 this month from a downwardly revised 15 in October. The figure remained above the all-time low reached in January of last [...]

The capital goods sector of the economy raised industrial output last month. The headline figure of no-change in October industrial production owed to a 3.4% decline in utility output. Three-month growth in output overall dropped to [...]