Economy in Brief: August 2016

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo improved to 60 during August from 58 in July, revised from 59. The NAHB figures are seasonally adjusted. During the last ten years there has [...]

The Empire State Factory Index of General Business Conditions declined during August to -4.21, the lowest level in three months. Expectations had been for 1.3 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The data are reported by the [...]

Total business inventories edged 0.2% higher (0.5% y/y) during June following an unrevised 0.2% increase in May. Total business sales strengthened 1.2% (-0.6% y/y) after a 0.3% rise, revised from 0.2%. Retail inventories rose 0.5% [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index declined 0.4% (-0.2% y/y) during July following an unrevised 0.5% June rise. It was the first decline since March. A 0.1% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

While U.S. GDP growth has dropped off a cliff, growth in the EMU and the U.K. is more or less mid-range since end-2009. In 2016 Q2 quarterly growth is decelerating in the EMU and in five of nine of the original EMU member GDP [...]

Total retail sales & spending at restaurants were virtually unchanged during July (2.3% y/y) following a 0.8% June rise, revised from 0.6%. Consensus expectations had been for 0.4% growth in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Auto [...]

We can identify four key measures of Italian inflation. By two these measures month-to-month inflation was stable in July; by two others inflation ticked higher month-to-month. On a year-over-year basis, inflation is stable on three [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance eased to 266,000 during the week ended August 6 following 267,000 claims in the week prior, revised from 269,000. Claims remained near the lowest level since 1973. The four-week moving average [...]