Economy in Brief

Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased to 234,000 (-2.1% y/y) during the week ended November 24 from an unrevised 224,000 in the previous week. This is the highest number of initial claims since mid-May, though claims [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Applications Index increased 5.5% (-14.4% y/y) last week following steady declines since early-last month. Purchase loan applications surged 8.8% (1.3% y/y) after a [...]

The market for new homes is continuing to weaken. New single-family home sales fell 8.9% (-12.0% y/y) in October to 544,000 (SAAR). It was the fourth decrease in the last five months and carried sales down to their lowest since March [...]

The market for new homes is continuing to weaken. New single-family home sales fell 8.9% (-12.0% y/y) in October to 544,000 (SAAR). It was the fourth decrease in the last five months and carried sales down to their lowest since March [...]

Real gross domestic product increased 3.5% (AR, 3.0% y/y) during Q3'18, unrevised from the advance estimate. It followed a 4.2% rise during the second quarter. A 3.6% advance had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

Globally, money supplies are decelerating to some extent with nominal M2 growth in the EMU a minor exception. All money growth rates decelerate from three-years to two-years to one-year. Only the U.K. and EMU have stronger growth over [...]

With the U.K.'s Brexit process in its final deal-or-no-deal stages, the Confederation of British Industry survey turned up some retail optimism. However, despite the bump up in the surveyed components in November, the levels of the [...]

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declined 1.6% (+5.5% y/y) during November to 135.7 and reversed its unrevised 1.9% October increase. The November level compared to expectations for 136.0 in the Action Economics Forecast [...]