Economy in Brief: 2018

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas indicated in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that the March General Business Activity Index declined to 21.4, its lowest level since November. Production, new orders, shipments and employment [...]

The National Association for Business Economics forecasts 2.7% growth in real GDP during 2019 following an expected 2.9% rise this year, revised up from the earlier forecast of 2.4% growth. Quarterly GDP growth is expected to average [...]

The National Association for Business Economics forecasts 2.7% growth in real GDP during 2019 following an expected 2.9% rise this year, revised up from the earlier forecast of 2.4% growth. Quarterly GDP growth is expected to average [...]

Sales of new single-family homes slipped 0.6% to 618,000 (SAAR) during February following a January decline to 622,00, revised from 593,000. It was the third consecutive monthly decline from the November peak of 711,000. Expectations [...]

Japan’s CPI moved higher, rising by 0.1% in February after a 0.4% increase in January. This marks a 12-month string of monthly CPI changes without a month-to-month decline. This is the longest such string for Japan without the CPI [...]

New orders for durable goods increased 3.1% (8.9% y/y) during February following a 3.5% January decline, revised from -3.7%. Expectations had been for a 1.6% rise in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Transportation sector orders [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reported that its index of regional manufacturing sector business activity remained unchanged at 17 during March. The index was up, nevertheless, from -12 in December 2015. The ISM-Adjusted [...]

The drop off in the EMU manufacturing PMI is sharp; two full diffusion points in March. Meanwhile, the services gauge lops off more than one full point. As a result, the overall EMU private sector PMI drops by nearly two diffusion [...]