Economy in Brief

New orders for durable goods rebounded last month. Overall durable goods orders increased 0.8% (5.3% y/y) during November following a 4.3% October decline. A 1.5% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

Initial unemployment insurance applications increased to 214,000 (-12.4% y/y) during the week ended December 15 from an unrevised 206,000 during the prior week. Initial claims remained near the lowest level since 1969. The Action [...]

The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators improved 0.2% (5.2% y/y) during November following a 0.3% October decline, revised from +0.1%. No change in the index level had been expected in the Action [...]

U.K. retail sales in November were bolstered by solid 'Black Friday' sales as the holiday selling period kicked off. Despite the November jolt in sales that reverses two straight months of declines, U.K. retail sales are still [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index declined to 9.4 during December from 12.9 in November. The Action Economics Forecast Survey median estimate was 15.7. During all of [...]

Initial unemployment insurance applications increased to 214,000 (-12.4% y/y) during the week ended December 15 from an unrevised 206,000 during the prior week. Initial claims remained near the lowest level since 1969. The Action [...]

The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously at today's meeting to increase the federal funds rate target by 25 basis points to a range between 2.25% and 2.50%. It was the ninth increase since December 2015. The action was [...]

Japan's trade trends continue to sour with a widening deficit, weakening exports and strong imports. Year-on-year goods exports are only technically rising with a ‘gain' of 0.2% over 12 months, hardly more than zero. Imports of goods, [...]