Economy in Brief

• Gasoline prices continue upward. • The cost of crude oil strengthens. • Natural gas prices improve. The price for regular gasoline improved to $2.18 per gallon (-20.6% y/y) in the week ended July 6 from $2.17 in the previous week. [...]

• Overall reading jumps to four-month high. • Business activity is pronounced. • Pricing power improves. Continued re-openings of businesses are reflected in the latest report from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The [...]

Germany's orders rebounded sharply in May after a devastating run of extreme weakness in March and April. Still over the last 24 months, there have only been eight monthly increases as there has been a period of weakness that preceded [...]

• The foreign trade deficit in goods and services widened further in May. • Both exports and imports fell in May though by much less than in April. • Trade is on course to subtract meaningfully from Q2 GDP. The U.S. trade deficit in [...]

• Rise in jobs is broad-based amongst industries. • Earnings weaken for second straight month. • Unemployment rate, though still double-digit, declines to three-month low. The job market improved again in June. Nonfarm payroll [...]

• Factory orders rebounded in May, rising 8.0% m/m, after meaningful declines in both March and April. • Strong gains in orders for both durable and nondurable goods in May. • Shipments also rebounded in May, but more modestly. U.S. [...]

• The foreign trade deficit in goods and services widened further in May. • Both exports and imports fell in May though by much less than in April. • Trade is on course to subtract meaningfully from Q2 GDP. The U.S. trade deficit in [...]

• State initial jobless claims decreased to a still extremely-elevated 1.427 million in the week ending June 27. • Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance new filers at 839,563. • Continuing claims for state programs rise to 19.3 [...]