Economy in Brief: January 2017

Total retail sales & spending at restaurants increased 0.6% (4.4% y/y) during December following a 0.2% November rise, revised from 0.1%. October's increase also was revised higher to 0.7% from 0.6%. A 0.7% increase had been expected [...]

Total business inventories increased 0.7% m/m (1.5% y/y) in November following a 0.1% m/m decline (originally reported as -0.2% m/m) in October. This rise was generally in line with market expectations, which looked for a 0.6% m/m [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that during December, the federal government ran a $27.5 billion budget deficit compared to a $14.4 billion deficit in December 2015. A $23.0 billion deficit had been expected in the Action [...]

Initial unemployment insurance filings rose to 247,000 (-11.8% y/y) during the week ended January 7 following a decline to 237,000 in the prior week, revised from 235,000. The latest level remained near the lowest since November 1973. [...]

Import prices increased 0.4% (1.8% y/y) during December following a 0.2% November decline, revised from -0.3%. A 0.7% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During all of last year, prices declined 3.4%, [...]

EMU industrial output spurted by 1.5% in November, more than expected but only after October's dismal 0.1% gain. The headline series (EMU IP excluding construction) shows a weaker growth rate 3.4% over three months compared to its [...]

The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) increased 0.7% during the last four weeks and has risen 20.3% during the last twelve months. This follows strength [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index jumped 5.8% last week (-4.8% y/y) following a 0.1% uptick during the week prior. Purchase applications surged 6.1% (4.7% y/y) while refinancing [...]