Economy in Brief

Total sales of light vehicles declined 1.5% during May (+0.7% y/y) to 16.91 million units (SAAR), following a 1.8% April decline to 17.17 million units, according to the Autodata Corporation. The decline left sales 8.9% below the [...]

The job market exhibited buoyancy during May. Nonfarm payrolls increased 223,000 following a 159,000 April rise and a 155,000 March increase. Together, payrolls during these two months were revised up 15,000. A 185,000 rise in [...]

Activity in the factory sector picked up in May following a moderation in April. The ISM headline manufacturing index jumped 1.4 points to 58.7 in May from 57.3 in April. This index has moderated since earlier this year, but remains [...]

The value of construction put-in-place recovered in April, rising a larger-than-expected 1.8% m/m (8.3% y/y) after having fallen 1.7% m/m in March (unrevised). The 1.0% m/m increase initially reported for February was revised up to a [...]

The job market exhibited buoyancy during May. Nonfarm payrolls increased 223,000 following a 159,000 April rise and a 155,000 March increase. Together, payrolls during these two months were revised up 15,000. A 185,000 rise in [...]

Manufacturing PMIs from the early-reporting Asian nations show that manufacturing has firmed slightly in May, but without generating any real signs of life. PMIs eased in two of seven reporters and gained pace in five of seven. April [...]

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that pending sales of existing homes fell 1.3% (-2.1% y/y) in April to an index level of 106.4 (2001=100). It was the third month of decline and left the index at the lowest level [...]

The most noticeable thing about this month’s jump in the HICP is that it is abrupt everywhere. Inflation this month owes a good deal of its jump to hopping-hot oil prices. While the ECB headline rate at 1.9% must be construed as at [...]