Economy in Brief

Overview: The French economy shows the ongoing impact from the coronavirus and the steps taken to curtail it. The manufacturing climate gauge has a 1.3 percentile standing (rarely weaker). Manufacturing production expectations have a [...]

• Purchase applications continue to rise. • Refinancings ease. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Loan Application Index rose 2.7% (75.1% y/y) last week and reversed the prior week's decline. Purchase [...]

• Gasoline prices rise to just under $2.00 per gallon. • Crude oil prices continue to increase. • Natural gas prices improve a bit. Retail gasoline prices increased to $1.96 per gallon (-30.5% y/y) in the week ended May 25 from $1.88 [...]

The Fed's debt-bridge policy is designed to improve the flow of credit to businesses to avoid a devastating credit crunch. Never before has one of the monetary policy solutions to combat recession been to extend credit to struggling, [...]

In the 12 months ended April 2020, the cumulative federal budget deficit reached $1.935 trillion, up from $1.0 trillion in the 12 months ended March 2020. The federal debt held by the public at the end of April 2020 stood at $19.054 [...]

In the 12 months ended April 2020, the cumulative federal budget deficit reached $1.935 trillion, up from $1.0 trillion in the 12 months ended March 2020. The federal debt held by the public at the end of April 2020 stood at $19.054 [...]

In the 12 months ended April 2020, the cumulative federal budget deficit reached $1.935 trillion, up from $1.0 trillion in the 12 months ended March 2020. The federal debt held by the public at the end of April 2020 stood at $19.054 [...]

• • • Sales of new single-family homes plummeted 15.4% in March to 627,000 units at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (-9.5% year-on-year)... New home sales activity and prices are available in Haver's USECON database, while MBA loan [...]