Economy in Brief: 2016

The EU indices for March remind us that since year end the circumstances in Europe have eroded. Around December several large EMU members were seeing a local high in their respective sentiment gauges, a high that has since unwound. [...]

The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its total Mortgage Market Volume Index declined 1.0% last week (+0.8% y/y), following two weeks of 3.3% decline. Refinancing applications dropped 3.3% (-11.2% y/y), the sixth consecutive [...]

The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated that nonfarm private sector payrolls rose 200,000 (2.1% y/y) during March following a 205,000 February increase, revised from 214,000. The latest gain was firmer than expectations [...]

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index during March increased 2.3% (-5.1% y/y) to 96.2 from 94.0 in February, revised from 92.2. The latest figure compared to an expected 93.5 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas indicated that industrial activity in the state continued to deteriorate this month, but the rate of decline lessened. The measure of general business activity of -13.6 was the smallest negative [...]

Regular gasoline prices rose, on average, last week to $2.07 per gallon (-15.6% y/y) from $2.01 in the prior week. It was the highest price in four months, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The price compares to a 2014 high [...]

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index during March increased 2.3% (-5.1% y/y) to 96.2 from 94.0 in February, revised from 92.2. The latest figure compared to an expected 93.5 in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. During [...]

Not seasonally adjusted Japanese retail sales rose, but after seasonal adjustment they fell and on that basis they are progressively weakening from 12-months to six-months to three-months. All those growth rates on seasonally adjusted [...]