Economy in Brief: 2017

The Federal Reserve's Financial Accounts data show less borrowing still in U.S. financial markets in Q4 2016. The total came to "just" $1,602 billion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, about half the Q3 amount, $3,194 billion. The [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 243,000 during the week ended March 4 from an unrevised 223,000 claims in the week prior. The latest level remained near the lowest since April 1973. Expectations had been for 237,000 [...]

Import prices edged 0.2% higher (4.6% y/y) during February following a 0.6% January increase, revised from 0.4%. A 0.1% uptick had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. [...]

Index traces out pattern of strength The Bank of France business indicator moved up to 103.9 in February from 101.7 in January. The index extends its tendency since early 2016 to show ongoing business sector improvement. In the wake [...]

Inventories at the wholesale level fell 0.2% (+2.4% y/y) during January following an unrevised 1.0% December jump. The advance report issued last week also indicated a 0.2% January decline. Inventories of durable goods eased 0.2% [...]

German IP advanced in January despite Germany having reports a very sharp decline in new orders yesterday. Of course, orders and output are connected with more than a one-month lag. But output is showing signs of fatigue. The IP gain [...]

Growth in nonfarm output per hour during Q4'16 increased at an unrevised 1.3% rate (1.0% y/y) following a 3.3% Q3 rise, revised from 3.5%. A 1.5% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These latest two [...]

The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated that private nonfarm payroll employment increased 298,000 (1.9% y/y) during February, the largest rise since April 2014. It followed a 261,000 January gain, revised from 246,000, [...]