Economy in Brief: 2013

Home prices are generating improved upward momentum throughout the country. The seasonally adjusted Case-Shiller 20 City Home Price Index increased 1.2% (9.4% y/y) during February and built on a 1.0% January rise. The 3-month [...]

Indices of economic sentiment from the European Commission show declines for the Economic Union (EU) and for the European Monetary Union (EMU) for April. The overall EMU index has fallen for the third month in a row, as has the index [...]

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR),pending sales of single-family homes during March rose 1.5% (7.0% y/y) after a 1.0% February decline, revised from -0.4%. The latest level was the highest since April 2010. The [...]

Personal income inched up 0.2% during March (2.5% y/y) following an unrevised 1.1% advance during February. The rise fell short of consensus expectations for a 0.4% increase. Rental income again advanced 1.9% (12.8% y/y) and [...]

Euro-Zone money supply growth has steadied in the 4% to 5% range, slightly above its pace in the previous couple of years. Real money balances are rising a bit faster too in the range of 2.5% to almost 4%, up from one to one-point [...]

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for April fell 2.8% to 76.4, unchanged y/y, from 78.6 in March. The figure was improved versus a mid-month reading of 72.3. It compared to the consensus forecast for 73.3. [...]

Economic growth rebounded during Q1'13 as businesses replenished inventories depleted during Q4'12. Real GDP growth of 2.5% last quarter (1.8% y/y) followed a tepid 0.4% increase at the end of the year. Expectations were for a 3.1% [...]

The details for the German IFO index show that in terms of current conditions deceleration is rampant across all sectors of the German economy except for retailing. The German retailing sector index edged higher from 5.8 in March to a [...]