Economy in Brief

Business activity in the factory sector is humming. Manufacturers' orders increased 0.4% during May (9.2% y/y) following a 0.4% April decline, revised from -0.8%. Manufacturing shipments rose 0.6% (7.3% y/y) after a 0.1% April gain. [...]

The graph shows decelerating year-on-year trends for consumer goods and intermediate goods with capital goods inflation low and essentially flat-lining. However, the table, which looks more at trends at 12-month and less, shows PPI [...]

Retail gasoline prices improved to $2.84 per gallon last week (25.8% y/y) from $2.83 per gallon during the prior week. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The seasonally- [...]

The factory sector expansion continues in the U.S. The ISM composite index of activity in the factory sector rose to 60.2 during June from May's unrevised 58.7. It was the highest index level since February. A reading of 58.5 had been [...]

Unemployment rates have been falling in the EMU. In May, the overall rate has stuck at 8.4%, its lowest mark since December 2008. In the last cycle, the unemployment rate low for the EMU was 7.3%, which it last reached in March 2008. [...]

The value of construction put-in-place increased 0.4% month-on-month in May (4.5% year-on-year), slightly less than the 0.5% expected by the Action Economics Forecast Survey. April's gain was cut in half to 0.9% m/m and March's drop [...]

PREVIOUS DATA Total sales of light vehicles declined 1.5% during May (+0.7% y/y) to 16.91 million units (SAAR)............. U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database. Light Weight Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Million [...]

The Chicago Purchasing Managers Business Barometer increased to 64.1 during June from May's unrevised 62.7. It was the highest level since January, continuing its sharply rising trend during the last three years. The Action Economics [...]