Economy in Brief: February 2019

Total business inventories slipped 0.1% (+4.6% y/y) during November following an unrevised 0.6% October gain. Total business sales fell 0.3% (+4.2% y/y). The inventory-to-sales ratio held steady at 1.35 and remained below its 1.43 [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance were 239,000 in the week ended February 9, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's 235,000, which was revised up by 1,000. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 225,000 claims [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance were 239,000 in the week ended February 9, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's 235,000, which was revised up by 1,000. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected 225,000 claims [...]

Consumers cut back on spending late in 2018, to the greatest degree since 2009. Total retail sales declined 1.2% (+2.3% y/y) during December following a 0.1% November uptick, revised from 0.2%. A 0.2% rise had been expected in the [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index edged down 0.1% for the second consecutive month in January (+2.0% year-on-year). December's reading was revised up from -0.2%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected an increase [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that the federal government ran a $13.5 billion budget deficit during December 2018. The deficit compared to a shortfall of $23.2 billion during December 2017. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Index fell 3.7% (-10.9% y/y) during the week ended February 8, about the same as it did during the prior three weeks. These declines followed sharp [...]

The Consumer Price Index remained unchanged during January for the third consecutive month. The December figure was revised from -0.1%. Expectations had been for a 0.1% rise in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The 1.6% y/y [...]