Economy in Brief: September 2018

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index using new methodology eased 0.1% during August (+2.8% y/y) after holding steady in July. It was the first decline since February 2017. A 0.2% increase had been expected in the Action [...]

The ZEW financial experts in Germany weigh in each month on their perceptions of the state of the German economy and several other key economies or economic units. In September, ZEW experts see actual conditions as little-changed. [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the total job openings rate during July held steady m/m at a record 4.4%. It remained higher than the 4.1% rate twelve months earlier. (The job openings rate is the job openings level as a [...]

Wholesale inventories jumped 0.6% m/m (5.0% y/y) in July following an unrevised 0.1% m/m increase in June. The July increase is a little smaller than expected--the Informa Global Markets Survey had looked for a 0.7% m/m increase. [...]

Gasoline prices continue their recent sideways movement and were $2.83 per gallon last week (5.5% y/y). They remained down from the late-May high of $2.96. Haver Analytics constructs factors to adjust for the marked seasonal variation [...]

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) reported that its Small Business Optimism Index rose to a record high of 108.8 during August. The index level was 3.3% higher than 12 months earlier. A record 34% of respondents [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $16.65 billion (4.6% y/y) during July after rising $8.47 billion in June, revised from $10.20 billion. A $14.0 billion gain had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During the [...]

The Bank of France survey shows a headline reading in August at 102.7; that is stronger than its July reading of 101. The BOF index peaked at 107.1 in December last year. It retreated sharply from its December reading to 104.3 in [...]