Economy in Brief: 2019

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that the General Business Activity Index declined to -5.3 in May from 2.0 in April. This is the third consecutive monthly decline and the lowest [...]

The EU Commission index rose to 105.1 in May, a rise that brings it up still short of its March reading; this is its first increase after 15 straight months of declines. There were improvements in the readings for each of the largest [...]

The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index increased 3.8% (4.1% y/y) to 134.1 during May. The gain repeated its April improvement to an unrevised 129.2 and exceeded expectations for an increase to 130.0 in the [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that the General Business Activity Index declined to -5.3 in May from 2.0 in April. This is the third consecutive monthly decline and the lowest [...]

With waning strength in housing starts and home sales, pricing power in the housing market has moderated. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Price Index for house purchases rose 0.1% in March following a 0.4% gain during [...]

Factory sector activity continued to weaken last month. New orders for durable goods fell 2.1% during April and were unchanged y/y. A 1.7% rise in orders during March was revised from a 2.7% gain reported initially. Expectations in [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City indicated that its index of regional manufacturing sector business activity eased to four in May from five in April. These figures were below the high of 26 reached last May. The ISM-Adjusted [...]

The EMU PMI remains weak in May at 51.6, but it is a few ticks higher than its value in April. Its May value is just a tick below its three-month average, at its six-month average and below its 12-month average which does not speak [...]