Economy in Brief

The EMU shows both manufacturing and services weakening more or less progressively. Over three months there is minor improvement in the services PMI compared to six months, but the PMI rankings in the EMU place the headline PMI as [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Index rose 1.5% (12.7% y/y) during the week ending May 31 after the prior week's 3.3% decline. The rise reflected a 6.4% increase (32.6% y/y) in [...]

The Composite Index of Nonmanufacturing Sector Activity from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) increased to 56.9 during May after falling to 55.5 in April. The Action Economics Forecast Survey expected stability at 55.5. [...]

ADP indicated in its National Employment Report that private nonfarm payrolls during May edged 27,000 higher (1.9% y/y) following 271,000 April rise, revised from 275,000. The March increase was revised to 158,000 from 151,000. The [...]

The chart may remind you, as it does me, of the groundhog that looks out and sees his shadow retreating to his burrow for another few weeks of winter weather. Is inflation making another major retreat? Waiting for inflation to [...]

Manufacturers' orders declined 0.8% (+1.0% y/y) during April following a 1.3% March gain, revised from 1.9%. Orders in February declined 1.0%, revised from -0.3%. A 0.9% April decline had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

Retail gasoline prices slipped one penny last week to $2.81 per gallon (-4.5% y/y), the fourth consecutive weekly decline. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The [...]

The value of construction put-in-place was flat in April (-1.2% year-on-year) following an upwardly-revised 0.1% gain in March (was -0.9%). February was also revised higher, to 1.0% from 0.7%. The Action Economics Forecast Survey had [...]