Economy in Brief: February 2018

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index increased to 25.8 during February and made up most of January's decline to 22.2. Expectations had been for a reading of 21.6 in the [...]

The Federal Reserve indicated that industrial production slipped 0.1% (+3.7 y/y) during January, following a 0.4% December gain, revised from 0.9%. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Factory sector [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 230,000 (-5.2% y/y) during the week ended February 10 from 223,000 claims in the prior week, which was slightly revised from 221,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

EMU GDP decelerated in Q4 2017 with growth tailing to a 2.4% compounded annual rate, compared to 2.9% in Q3 2017. The year-on-year pace of GDP growth is still quite solid as it decelerated by only a tick to 2.7% in Q4 from 2.8% in Q3 [...]

Total business inventories increased 0.4% in December (3.2% y/y), the same as during their unrevised November reading. Total business sales gained 0.6% (6.7% y/y) after a 1.4% rise, revised from 1.2%. The changes in inventories and [...]

The Consumer Price Index jumped up 0.5% m/m (2.1% y/y) in January following a 0.2% m/m rise in December. The core index (that is, excluding food and energy prices) increased a more modest 0.3% m/m (1.8% y/y) after a 0.2% m/m gain in [...]

Many consumers stayed home last month. Total retail sales declined 0.3% during January following no change in December, revised from 0.4% reported initially. November's 0.8% gain was revised from 0.9%. A 0.2% increase had been [...]

Dutch retail sales are volatile, but the series on retail sales has always had a high degree of volatility. Still, even by these standards, Dutch retail sales are volatile. The six-month volatility in sales is the highest it is been [...]