Economy in Brief: August 2016

The table and chart array data on the beliefs and expectations of the financial experts in the monthly German ZEW Survey. The experts have a global perspective; as we look at their responses in August, we can get a sense of the sort [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index declined 4.0% (+31.5% y/y) last week following a 7.1% rise. Purchase applications fell 3.9% (+9.6% y/y), and have been declining steadily since [...]

Industrial output increased 0.7% during July (-0.5% y/y) following a 0.4% June gain, revised from 0.6%. A 0.3% rise in output had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Factory sector production rose 0.5% last month [...]

Regular gasoline prices remained steady last week and averaged $2.15 per gallon (-20.9% y/y). Prices were 25 cents lower than early-June, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Prices were down versus a 2014 high of $3.71 per [...]

Industrial output increased 0.7% during July (-0.5% y/y) following a 0.4% June gain, revised from 0.6%. A 0.3% rise in output had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Factory sector production rose 0.5% last month [...]

Housing starts increased 2.1% during July to 1.211 million units (SAAR) from 1.186 million in June, revised from 1.189 million. It was the highest level since February and 5.6% higher than one year earlier. Expectations were for 1.18 [...]

Pricing power waned during July. The consumer price index remained unchanged (0.8% y/y), as expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey, following two months of 0.2% increase. Prices excluding food & energy nudged 0.1% higher [...]

The ZEW index of expectations is compiled from the survey results of German financial experts. Expectations recovered in August to post a 0.5 net reading, a positive assessment for expectations, up from -6.8 in July. July had been a [...]