Economy in Brief

The National Association of Realtors reported that its Composite Index of Home Affordability rose 1.5% m/m during February. Nevertheless, affordability was down 2.8% y/y and 27.1% below the peak level during January 2013. Together, [...]

The Labor Department reported that import prices increased 0.6% during March and were unchanged y/y. The gain followed a 1.0% strengthening in February, revised from 0.6%. A 0.4% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased to 196,000 (-13.7% year-on-year) during the week ended April 6th from a slightly upwardly-revised 204,000 in the previous week. This is the lowest level of claims since October 1969. [...]

Ireland's HICP and domestic CPI both point to well contained inflation. At the same time, there is evidence that pressures in Ireland are rising. Does Ireland have the kind of inflation that can be ignored and will return to path or [...]

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index increased 0.6% during March (2.2% y/y) following a 0.1% February gain. A 0.3% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Producer prices excluding food & energy rose [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased to 196,000 (-13.7% year-on-year) during the week ended April 6 from a slightly upwardly-revised 204,000 in the previous week. This is the lowest level of claims since October 1969. [...]

U.K. manufacturing industrial output rose in February by 0.9%, marking back-to-back increases averaging 1% per month for two months in a row. Headline manufacturing growth shows acceleration in progress from 12-months (0.6%) to six- [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Index fell 5.6% (+24.1% y/y) during the week ending April 5. Applications to purchase a home improved 0.5% (12.6% y/y), but refinancings declined 11.4% [...]