New York City business activity maintained a rapid rate of expansion in April according to the survey taken by the Institute for Supply Management-New York (ISM-NY).

The Current Business Conditions index rose to 62.2 in April from 60.6 in March, marking the eighth straight month above the 60 level. There is only one other stretch in the history of the ISM-NY Report on Business when the Current Business Conditions index expanded this ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the CHICAGO BUSINESS BAROMETER escalated to the highest level since April 2005, marking its seventh month of growth. All Business Activity indexes signaled expansion for the second consecutive month.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:
EMPLOYMENT marked a fourth month of growth;
PRICES PAID accelerated to the highest level since September 2008;
ORDER BACKLOGS and SUPPLIER DELIVERIES neared ten-year highs. ...

The Index of Consumer Sentiment declined slightly in April from March but was significantly higher than a year ago. Most of the year-to-year gains reflected more favorable assessments by consumers of current economic conditions. Expectations for future economic gains posted only minor gains since last April, although they are much more ...

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010, (that is, from the fourth quarter to the first quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In ...

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.6 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending March 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.4 percent while benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent ...

Growth in Tenth District manufacturing activity continued at a solid pace, and producers remained moderately optimistic about the future. Price indexes were mixed, with further increases in raw materials prices, but finished goods prices were mostly stable.

The net percentage of firms reporting month-over-month increases in production in April was 24, up from 18 in March and 19 in February (Tables 1 & 2, Chart). Production increased at both durable and nondurable-goods-producing plants. Most other month-over-month indicators ...

For the week ending April 17, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by another +0.3 percent extending its growth streak to nine straight weeks. We expect to get confirmation this week from the BEA that the U.S. economy posted an impressive growth rate in the first quarter of the year while the second quarter looks to be off to ...

In the week ending April 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 448,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 459,000. The 4-week moving average was 462,500, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of ...

Led by improvements in production- and employment-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index increased to –0.07 in March, up from –0.44 in February. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index made positive contributions in March, while the consumption and housing category made the lone ...

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in March suggests that economic activity has continued to strengthen and that the labor market is beginning to improve. Growth in household spending has picked up recently but remains constrained by high unemployment, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 23, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume decreased 2.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 1.9 percent compared ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 1.3% in March, to a seasonally adjusted level of 84.1 (2002 = 100). Revised data show the index ticked down 0.1% in February to 83.1. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) increased 0.9% in March. Regional output in March edged up 4.7% from ...

In April the seasonally adjusted composite index of manufacturing activity — our broadest measure of manufacturing — jumped 24 points to 30 from March's reading of 6. Among the index's components, shipments moved up 25 points to 30, new orders leaped 31 points to finish at 41, and the jobs index advanced 13 points to end ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had rebounded in March, increased further in April. The Index now stands at 57.9 (1985=100), up from 52.3 in March. The Present Situation Index increased to 28.6 from 25.2. The Expectations Index improved to 77.4 ...

Data through February 2010, released today by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller1 Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show that the annual rates of decline of the 10-City and 20-City Composites improved in February compared to January 2010. For the first time since December 2006, the annual rates of change for ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that chain store sales rose for the sixth consecutive week. Retailers enjoyed another sales increase overall as weekly sales improved by 0.2 percent, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs weekly sales index for the period ending April 24. On a year-over-year basis sales had a ...

Texas factory activity increased for the sixth month in a row in April, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key indicator of state manufacturing conditions, climbed further into positive territory as more producers reported ...

Sales of new single-family houses in March 2010 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 26 9 percent (±21 1%) above the revised February rate of 324 000 and is 23 8 percent (±18 7%) above the March ...

Employers took 1,628 mass layoff actions in March that resulted in the separation of 150,864 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single employer. The number of mass ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in March decreased $2.2 billion or 1.3 percent to $176.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease followed three consecutive monthly increases, including a 1.1 percent February increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.8 percent. Excluding defense, new ...

Buyers responding to the homebuyer tax credit and favorable affordability conditions boosted existing-home sales in March, marking the beginning of an expected spring surge, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 6.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million units in March from 5.01 million in February, and are 16.1 percent above the 4.61 ...

For the week ending April 10, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by another +0.2 percent and has now grown for eight straight weeks. With +5.6 percent economic growth in the final quarter of 2009 and what’s looking to be about +4.0 percent growth in the first quarter of 2010 the V-shaped recovery thought to be impossible just ...

In the week ending April 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 456,000, a decrease of 24,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 480,000. The 4-week moving average was 460,250, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average of ...

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.7 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This advance followed a 0.6-percent decline in February and a 1.4-percent increase in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods climbed ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 16, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 13.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 13.9 percent ...

Retail sales rose for the fifth consecutive week despite facing a post-Easter seasonal drag. Overall sales improved by 0.2% on a weekly basis according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs weekly sales index for the period ending April 17. On a year-over-year basis sales remained strong ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 1.4 percent in March, following a 0.4 percent gain in February, and a 0.6 percent rise in January. The U.S. LEI is now at its highest level.

The U.S. LEI has risen steadily for a year, and its six-month growth rate has remained fairly stable in recent months — led by improvements in financial and labor market indicators. Payroll employment made its first substantial contribution to the coincident economic index, ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000. This is 7.5 percent (±1.3%) above the revised February rate of 637,000 and is 34.1 percent (±2.6%) above the March 2009 estimate of 511,000. Single-family authorizations in March were at a rate of ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes improved significantly in April as consumers rushed to take advantage of home buyer tax credits set to expire at the end of the month, according to results of the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. The HMI ...

For the week ending April 3, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by another +0.1 percent and has now grown for seven straight weeks. The Barometer’s growth in the first quarter of the year was on par with an overall real GDP expansion of around 4 percent. Both sides of the Barometer, consumption and production, contributed ...

The expansion of the region's manufacturing sector is continuing, according to firms polled for this month's Business Outlook Survey. The broadest survey measures remained positive this month, with measures of general activity and new orders showing a slight improvement from March. More firms reported higher input prices this month, but prices ...

Industrial production edged up 0.1 percent in March and increased at an annual rate of 7.8 percent in the first quarter. Manufacturing output rose 0.9 percent in March, led by widespread gains among durable goods industries. Factory production was likely held down in February by the winter storms but nonetheless rose at an annual rate of ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for February 2010. Net foreign purchases of long-term securities were $47.1 billion.

Net foreign purchases of long-term U.S. securities were $51.4 billion. Of this, net purchases by private foreign investors were $52.5 billion, and net purchases by foreign official institutions were negative $1.2 billion. U.S. residents purchased a net $4.2 billion of ...

In the week ending April 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 484,000, an increase of 24,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 460,000. The 4-week moving average was 457,750, an increase of 7,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of ...

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York State manufacturers improved at a rapid pace in April. The general business conditions index rose 9 points, to 31.9. The new orders and shipments indexes advanced as well, and the inventories index climbed to a record high. The prices paid index moved up 12 points ...

Overall economic activity increased somewhat since the last report across all Federal Reserve Districts except St. Louis, which reported "softened" economic conditions. Districts generally reported increases in retail sales and vehicle sales. Tourism spending was up in a number of Districts. Reports on the services sector were generally ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for February, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,041.9 billion, up 0.3 percent (±0.2%) from January 2010 and up 6.8 percent (±0.4%) from February ...

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the index increased 2.3 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index was mostly due to an increase ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for March, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $363.2 billion, an increase of 1.6 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 7.6 percent (±0.5%) above March 2009. Total sales ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.2 percent from February to March, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease stems from a 0.1 percent decrease in average hourly earnings and a 0.1 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 9, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 9.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 9.5 percent compared ...

The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services increased to $39.7 billion in February from $37.0 billion (revised) in January, as imports increased more than exports

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that total February exports of $143.2 billion and imports of $182.9 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $39.7 billion, up from $37.0 billion ...

The U.S. Import Price Index rose 0.7 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase was attributable to higher prices for both fuel and nonfuel imports and followed a 0.2 percent decline in February. Export prices also rose 0.7 percent in March after declining 0.4 percent the ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that chain store sales rose a slight 0.1% from the prior week, the fourth consecutive gain, while sales gained a strong 4.0% from the year-ago period. As expected, there was somewhat of a drop-off during the post-Easter week compared to last week’s 4.7% YoY increase, but lingering ...

The Index of Small Business Optimism lost 1.2 points, falling to 86.8. The persistence of Index readings below 90 is unprecedented in survey history. The Index has posted 18 consecutive monthly readings below 90. The March Index continues this trend, and heading in the wrong direction, very inconsistent with the notion that the economy ...

The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research met at the organization’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 8, 2010. The committee reviewed the most recent data for all indicators relevant to the determination of a possible date of the trough in economic activity marking the end of the ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that February 2010 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $338.7 billion, up 0.8 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised January level and were up 9.8 percent ...

For the week ending March 27, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by another +0.2 percent and appears to be unstoppable, rising for a sixth straight week. This week’s report closes out the first quarter and what a strong quarter it was! In the final quarter of 2009 the barometer grew by +0.5 percent, which was its first ...

In the week ending April 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 460,000, an increase of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 442,000. The 4-week moving average was 450,250, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of ...

Consumer credit decreased at an annual rate of 5-1/2 percent in February 2010. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 13 percent, and nonrevolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 1-1/2 percent.

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