Economy in Brief: September 2011

Industrial commodity prices recently have found stability after their downdraft one month ago. At 170.4, the latest price index reading from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER), which covers [...]

Germany persistently is one of the low inflation countries in the Euro-Area. Its inflation rate in August fell to 2.3% Yr/Yr as its price index was flat month-to-month. Jean-Claude Trichet is trying to have some patience with the [...]

German exports fell by 1.8% in July after falling by 1.2% in June. But the preceding months found German exports very volatile rising by 4.3% in May falling by 5.6% in April and surging by 7.2% in March and so on. With volatility like [...]

The foreign trade deficit narrowed to $44.8B in July from a revised $51.6B in June, initially reported as $53.1B. Expectations had been for $51.0B, according to Action Economics. Exports jumped 3.6% and more-than-recovered the June [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 414,000 last week from 412,000 during the week prior (revised from 409,000). The latest figure exceeded expectations for 405,000 claims according to the Action Economics survey. The [...]

The total index of mortgage applications fell 4.9% last week to 601.0 (March 16, 1990 = 100). The decline was due to a 6.3% drop in applications to refinance, down for the third straight week. Applications to purchase a home nudged up [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) that the July job openings rate held steady m/m at 2.4%. The latest reading remained improved versus the recession low of 1.6%. The job [...]

Industrial output in Germany rose by a sharp 4% in July after falling by 1% in June. With consumer goods slackening their pace over three-months capital goods output is ramping up over all horizons. Capital goods orders surged by 7.5% [...]