Economy in Brief

The U.K. manufacturing PMI from Markit falls to 53.1 in April from 55.1 in March. Interestingly, the averages of the various industrial gauges in the table show degradation from their respective 12-month averages to their six-month [...]

The ISM manufacturing index unexpectedly fell to 52.8 in April from 55.3 in March, making it the weakest reading since October 2016. The index remained below its expansion peak of 60.8 last August. The Action Economics Forecast Survey [...]

The value of construction put-in-place decreased 0.9% m/m (-0.8% y/y) in March following a 0.7% m/m increase (revised down from +1.0%) in February. The Action Economics Forecast Survey had expected a 0.1% m/m rise. The y/y decline in [...]

ADP indicated in its National Employment Report that private nonfarm payrolls increased 275,000 (2.1% y/y) during April following a 151,000 gain during March, revised from 129,000. The February increase also was revised up to 220,000 [...]

The employment cost index (ECI) for civilian workers rose 0.7% in Q1'19 following a 0.7% Q4'18 gain. The riser matched expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. The increase left y/y compensation growth at 2.9%, up from [...]

Year-over-year GDP growth had decelerated in five consecutive quarters until the Q1 2019 release. And even in 2019, it is not posting a trend-stopping rise, but rather a rate of growth equal to that in the previous quarter when [...]

The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index increased 4.0% (2.9% y/y) to 129.2 during April and reversed most of the March decline. The m/m rise exceeded expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey which [...]

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending home sales jumped 3.8% in March (-1.2% year-on-year). Pending sales declined for most of 2018, dropping in December to its lowest level since April 2014. Pending sales [...]