Economy in Brief: April 2020

The expectation for German confidence in May has taken the sharpest, deepest and broadest turn for the worse on record. The German April reading had taken 'a step down' and a significant one at that. But the full realization of what [...]

• Initial claims for jobless insurance eased to 4.427 million last week. • Roughly 26 million individuals filed new claims during the last five weeks. • The insured jobless rate jumped to 11.0%. Initial jobless claims for unemployment [...]

• Initial claims for jobless insurance eased to 4.427 million last week. • Roughly 26 million individuals filed new claims during the last five weeks. • The insured jobless rate jumped to 11.0%. Initial jobless claims for unemployment [...]

U.K. inflation has remained tame. In December there was a broad-based acceleration, but that has dissipated in February and March. In March and February, only about 21% of the major categories and the headline accelerated month-to- [...]

• Home prices remained firm in mid-winter. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index increased 0.7% during February following a 0.5% rise in January, revised from 0.3%. The 5.7% y/y gain had been fairly steady since early [...]

• The housing market remains weak. • Financing rates are low. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Loan Application Index eased 0.3% (+70.0% y/y) in the week ended April 17 after the prior week's 7.3% increase. [...]

• Home prices remained firm in mid-winter. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index increased 0.7% during February following a 0.5% rise in January, revised from 0.3%. The 5.7% y/y gain had been fairly steady since early [...]

• Home prices remained firm in mid-winter. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index increased 0.7% during February following a 0.5% rise in January, revised from 0.3%. The 5.7% y/y gain had been fairly steady since early [...]