Economy in Brief

Sales of new single-family homes increased 7.9% (18.6% y/y) during January to 764,000 units (SAAR), the highest level since July 2007. Sales increased from 708,000 in December, revised from 694,000. Figures for 2019 were revised. The [...]

French household confidence edged up to 104.4 in February from 103.7 in January. The index is moderately strong at that level with a percentile queue standing of 74.5%. Still, the status of the index and its momentum is unclear since [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Loan Application Index rose 1.5% (70.2% y/y) during the week ending February 21 following a 6.4% decline in the previous week. Purchase applications rebounded 5.7% (10.6% [...]

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index rose 0.2% (-0.5% y/y) during February to an index level of 130.7 (1985=100). The rise followed a 1.7% January increase, revised from 2.7%. An increase to 132.5 had been expected in the [...]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index increased 0.6% during December following a 0.3% November gain, revised from 0.2% and a 0.3% increase in October. Prices rose 5.3% during all of 2019, the weakest increase since [...]

The French business climate gauge moved up to 102.5 in February from 101.9 in January striking a 2.3 percentile standing just above its historic median. It is a reading slightly above ‘normal' and the highest mark reached since August [...]

Retail gasoline prices increased to $2.47 per gallon (3.2% y/y) in the week ended February 24 from $2.43 per gallon in the previous week. Despite increases during the latest two weeks, prices remained below an early-May peak of $2.90 [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that the General Business Activity Index increased to 1.2 this month from -0.2 in January. The figure is a diffusion index with readings above zero [...]