The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the CHICAGO BUSINESS BAROMETER rebounded in September, marking a 24th month of expansion. The Report was characterized by significant gains in EMPLOYMENT and NEW ORDERS while ORDER BACKLOGS contracted and SUPPLIER DELIVERIES remained in a 14-month up-and-down ...

Consumer confidence improved in September, although it is still quite weak and remained below the year earlier reading. Most of the gain was due to consumers shifting from anticipating an even worse economy to expecting the economy to stagnate at its current depressed level. The majority of consumers expected their personal finances to ...

Personal income decreased $7.3 billion, or 0.1 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) decreased $5.0 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, in August, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $22.7 billion, or 0.2 percent. In July, personal income increased $17.1 billion, or 0.1 ...

New York City business activity moved back above breakeven after contracting last month for the first time in two years, according to the survey taken by the Institute for Supply Management-New York (ISMNY). The Current Business Conditions index rose to 50.6 in September from 47.8 in ...

Growth in Tenth District manufacturing activity edged higher in September. Expectations moderated slightly, but producers on net still anticipated increased activity over the next six months. Price indexes moved up modestly, with slightly more producers planning to raise ...

Pending home sales slipped in August with a mixed regional performance but are higher than a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, declined 1.2 percent to 88.6 in August from 89.7 in July but is 7.7 percent above August 2010 when it stood at 82.3. The data reflects contracts but not closings. ...

For the week ending September 17, 2011, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rebounded, increasing +0.2 percent after the decline of -0.2 percent in the prior week. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales decreased by -1.2%, which largely offset their gain in the week ending September 10th. MBA’s mortgage applications fell sharply as well. All in ...

In the week ending September 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 391,000, a decrease of 37,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 428,000. The 4-week moving average was 417,000, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average ...

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 1.3 percent in the second quarter of 2011, (that is, from the first quarter to the second quarter), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in August decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $201.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down two of the last three months, followed a 4.1 percent July increase. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.1 ...

Mortgage applications increased 9.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 23, 2011.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 9.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 9.2 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 11.2 ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate this month, according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, employment grew at a slightly quicker rate, while shipments exhibited more moderate weakness and new orders slipped further into negative ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined sharply in August, remained essentially unchanged in September. The Index now stands at 45.4 (1985=100), up slightly from 45.2 in August. The Present Situation Index decreased to 32.5 from 34.3. The Expectations Index edged up to 54.0 from 52.4 ...

Data through June 2011, released today by S&P Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show that the U.S. National Home Price Index increased by 3.6% in the second quarter of 2011, after having fallen 4.1% in the first quarter of 2011. With the second quarter’s data, the National Index ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 0.6% in August, to a seasonally adjusted level of 85.0 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index increased 0.3% in July. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) increased 0.4% in August. Regional output in August rose 7.6% from a year ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Retail Chain Store Sales Index edged down 0.2% in the week ended Saturday from the week before on a seasonally adjusted, comparable-store basis, falling for the second straight week.

“September sales have been volatile from week-to-week, but the trend has softened on balance as some renewed and intensified worry about the economy returned,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. “As the fiscal month comes to a close ...

Texas factory activity increased in September, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 1.1 to 5.9, suggesting growth picked up this month after stalling ...

Sales of new single-family houses in August 2011 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 295,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 2.3 percent (±13.9%) below the revised July rate of 302,000, but is 6.1 percent (±18.8%) above the August ...

Led by declines in production- and employment-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index decreased to –0.43 in August from +0.02 in July. Contributions from three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index declined from July, and three of the four were negative ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3 percent in August to 116.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.6 percent increase in July and a 0.3 percent increase in June.

The August increase in the U.S. LEI was driven by components measuring financial and monetary conditions which offset substantially weaker components measuring expectations. The growth trend in the LEI has moderated and positive and negative contributors to the index have ...

Employers took 1,587 mass layoff actions in August involving 165,547 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 mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in ...

For the week ending September 10, 2011, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer fell by -0.2 percent after a flat reading in the prior week. On the consumption side, inflation-adjusted chain store sales rebounded from the hurricane affected loss in the prior week, while mortgage applications gained for three consecutive weeks in spite of adverse ...

In the week ending September 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 423,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 432,000. The 4-week moving average was 421,000, an increase of 500 from the previous week's revised average ...

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August indicates that economic growth remains slow. Recent indicators point to continuing weakness in overall labor market conditions, and the unemployment rate remains elevated. Household spending has been increasing at only a modest pace in recent months despite some recovery ...

Existing-home sales increased in August, even with ongoing tight credit and appraisal problems, along with regional disruptions created by Hurricane Irene, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Monthly gains were seen in all regions.

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 7.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million in August from an upwardly revised 4.67 million in July, and are 18.6 percent ...

Mortgage applications increased 0.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 16, 2011.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 25.2 percent compared with the previous week, which included the Labor Day ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 620,000. This is 3.2 percent (±1.0%) above the revised July rate of 601,000 and is 7.8 percent (±1.4%) above the August 2010 estimate of 575,000. Single-family authorizations in August were at a rate of 413,000; ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that chain store sales fell for the 6th time in 8 weeks, declining 1.2% from the prior week, while growing 3.4% over the prior-year period during the week ending Sep 17th. A compositional sales shift in store venues affected the latest week’s performance. According to the ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes dipped by a single point to 14 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for September, released today. The index has now held between 13 and 16 for six ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for July 2011. Foreign residents increased their holdings of long-term U.S. securities in July — net purchases were $24.6 billion.

Net purchases by private foreign investors were $10.4 billion, and net purchases by foreign official institutions were $14.2 billion. At the same time, U.S. residents increased their holdings of long-term foreign securities, with net purchases of $15.1 billion.

Taking ...

Responses to the Business Outlook Survey this month suggest that regional manufacturing activity is continuing to contract, but declines are less widespread than in August. The survey's broad indicators for activity, shipments, and new orders all remained negative for the second consecutive month. Responding firms, however, indicated ...

For the week ending September 3, 2011, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was flat after increasing +0.1 percent in the prior week. In spite of the flat reading in the latest week, however, seventy percent of the components posted a gain, reversing their course in the week ending August 20th where seventy percent of the components declined. ...

Industrial production increased 0.2 percent in August after having advanced 0.9 percent in July. Manufacturing rose 0.5 percent in August, after a similarly sized gain in July, and the rates of change were revised down slightly in April, May, and June. In August, the output of mines moved up 1.2 percent. The output of utilities decreased ...

The U.S. current-account deficit—the combined balances on trade in goods and services, income, and net unilateral current transfers—decreased to $118.0 billion (preliminary) in the second quarter of 2011, from $119.6 billion (revised) in the first quarter. The decrease was more than accounted for by increases in the surplus on income and ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 3.8 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index was broad-based, ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.6 percent from July to August, 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 0.4 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers worsened for a fourth consecutive month in September. The general business conditions index inched down one point, to -8.8. The new orders index held steady at -8.0, while the shipments index dropped sixteen points to -12.9. The inventories index, ...

In the week ending September 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 428,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 417,000. The 4-week moving average was 419,500, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for July, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,197.7 billion, up 0.7 percent (±0.2%) from June 2011 and up 12.0 percent (±0.4%) from ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for August, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $389.5 billion, virtually unchanged (±0.5%) from the previous month and 7.2 percent (±0.7%) above August 2010. Total sales for ...

The Producer Price Index for finished goods was unchanged in August, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Finished goods prices advanced 0.2 percent in July and declined 0.4 percent in June. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods decreased 0.5 percent ...

Mortgage applications increased 6.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending September 9, 2011. This week’s results include an adjustment to account for the Labor Day ...

U.S. import prices declined 0.4 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, led by a 1.8 percent decrease in fuel prices. The August drop in import prices followed a 0.3 percent rise the previous month. In contrast, prices for U.S. exports rose 0.5 percent after declining 0.4 percent ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported that chain store sales rose for just the 2nd time in 7 weeks, climbing 1.3% from the prior week, while growing 3.3% over the prior-year period during the week ending Sep 10th. As more normal weather conditions returned to the East, in particular, so too did the consumers’ ...

Confidence in the future of the economy crashed in August, taking the Small Business Optimism Index down 1.8 points to 88.1. This was the sixth monthly decline in a row. The expansion is officially two years and two months old, but the small business half of the economy is still in the “tank”. Expectations for real sales growth and ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that July 2011 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 $396.0 billion, virtually unchanged (+/-0.5) from the revised June level, but were up 14.4 percent (+/-1.1%) ...

Consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 6 percent in July 2011. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 5-1/4 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 11-1/4 percent.


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For the week ending August 27, 2011, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was up slightly by +0.1 percent after falling for two consecutive weeks. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales and MBA’s purchase index both showed a modest improvement from the low level of the prior week. On the production side, a gain in electric output was largely ...

The Nation's international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $44.8 billion in July from $51.6 billion (revised) in June, as exports increased and imports decreased.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that total July exports of $178.0 billion and imports of $222.8 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $44.8 billion, down from $51.6 billion in ...

In the week ending September 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 414,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 412,000. The 4-week moving average was 414,750, an increase of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average ...