Economy in Brief: June 2018

Wholesale trade inventories increased 0.1% (5.8 y/y) during April following a 0.2% March gain, revised from 0.3%. The April rise matched the increase reported in the advance report released on May 30 and compared to no change expected [...]

German trends but more broadly European trends are pointing lower. Germany's IP drop is formally listed as ‘unexpected.' But after four months in a row of orders declining one has to wonder why would a drop in output be unexpected [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that the Composite Index of Home Affordability declined 8.8% y/y during April to 145.8, the lowest level since October 2008. The index was 32.0% below its peak in January 2013. During the [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance eased to 222,000 during the week ended June 1 from 223,000 during the prior week, revised from 221,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey were for 220,000 claims. The four- [...]

Consumer credit outstanding rose $9.26 billion during April following a $12.29 billion March gain, revised from $11.62 billion. It was the weakest monthly increase since September. A $14.0 billion rise had been expected in the Action [...]

Borrowing in U.S. financial markets rose markedly in Q1 2018, according to the Federal Reserve's Financial Accounts data, reaching $4,056 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, almost double the Q4 2017 amount, $2,202 billion. [...]

German new orders fell by 2.5% in April marking their fourth straight monthly drop, a highly unusual development. Domestic orders are down in two of the last three months as are foreign orders. Orders growth rates steadily decelerate [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance eased to 222,000 during the week ended June 1 from 223,000 during the prior week, revised from 221,000. Expectations in the Action Economics Forecast Survey were for 220,000 claims. The four- [...]