Economy in Brief: 2019

The Composite Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders-Wells Fargo rose to 63 during April after improved readings of 62 in the prior two months. The index remained up from the December low of 56, but below [...]

Industrial production eased 0.1% as expected (+2.8% y/y) during March after a 0.1% February improvement. Factory output held steady (1.0% y/y) following two straight months of modest decline. Data back through 2017 were revised. [...]

Retail gasoline prices jumped to $2.83 per gallon last week (2.9% y/y), the highest level since late-October 2018. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the seasonal variation in gasoline pump prices. The seasonally- [...]

The volume of retail sales fell month-to-month, according to the Bank of France retail trade survey. Over 12 months, the gauge is falling by 3.5%. However, it is getting some traction as sales expand at a 0.3% pace over six months and [...]

The Empire State Manufacturing Index of General Business Conditions rebounded to 10.1 during April and reversed the decline registered in March. Nevertheless, the latest level remained sharply below the reading of 17.9 twelve months [...]

Euro area industrial production fell by 0.2% in February, leaving January’s 1.9% gain sandwiched between two smaller declines. Output is still rising on balance over three months at a 3.5% annual rate. That’s a reversal of its -2.1% [...]

The National Association of Realtors reported that its Composite Index of Home Affordability rose 1.5% m/m during February. Nevertheless, affordability was down 2.8% y/y and 27.1% below the peak level during January 2013. Together, [...]

The Labor Department reported that import prices increased 0.6% during March and were unchanged y/y. The gain followed a 1.0% strengthening in February, revised from 0.6%. A 0.4% rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]