Economy in Brief: October 2011

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that its Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions ticked up to -8.48 in October. Nevertheless it remained roughly where it's been since June. The number was weaker than [...]

Embedded in the Euro-Area as it is Germany fights inflation with a tight fiscal policy, a strong constituent belief that inflation is bad and using whatever monetary policies come out of the ECB. The ECB continues to sit and wait. In [...]

The U.S. Commerce Department reported that business inventory growth held steady in August at 0.5%. A 0.4% increase was expected and July was revised from 0.4%. Business sales increased a moderated 0.3%. As a result, the [...]

Overall U.S. import prices rose 0.3% during September after a 0.2% August decline, revised from -0.4%. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.3% September drop. Year-to-year, the lower value of the U.S. dollar as well as higher oil [...]

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for mid-October fell to 57.5 from an unrevised 59.4 inn September. The figure was weaker than Consensus expectations for 60.0. Consumers' reading of current economic conditions [...]

The consumer got tired of not spending last month. That's the message from a firm 1.1% increase in September retail & food service sales. It followed an upwardly revised 0.3% August increase, last month reported as unchanged. The [...]

The foreign trade deficit for August held at $45.6B versus a revised $45.6B in July, initially reported as $44.8B. Expectations had been for $46.0B, according to Action Economics. Exports slipped 0.1% (+14.7% y/y) following their 3.4% [...]

Initial claims for jobless insurance slipped to 404,000 last week versus 405,000 a week earlier (revised from 401,000). The latest figure roughly equaled Consensus expectations for 405,000 claims, according to the Action Economics [...]