Tenth District manufacturing activity contracted further in February, and factories’ expectations weakened somewhat. Some contacts noted disruptions in shipments due to bad weather, and many firms expressed concern about possible direct and indirect impacts on orders should federal spending cuts occur with sequestration. Most price indexes ...

For the week ending February 16, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rebounded by 0.7 percent following a 0.8 percent decrease in the prior week. Combined with the positive contributions by consumption and production sides, this week’s jump was the largest since December 15th, 2012. Chain Store Sales picked up by 2.7 percent and ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the Chicago Business Barometer rose for a second month, up 1.2 points to 56.8, its highest level since last March. Improvement in the Business Barometer was concurrent with gains in New Orders, Order Backlogs, and Supplier Deliveries while Production and Employment expanded at a slower ...

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 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the ...

In the week ending February 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 344,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 366,000. The 4-week moving average was 355,000, a decrease of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average ...

Pending home sales rose in January, and have been above year-ago levels for the past 21 months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. There were healthy monthly gains in all regions but the West, which is constrained by limited inventory but was ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in January decreased $11.8 billion or 5.2 percent to $217.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down following four consecutive monthly increases, followed a 3.7 percent December increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.9 percent. Excluding defense, new ...

Mortgage applications decreased 3.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 22, 2013 This week’s results did not include an adjustment for the Presidents’ Day ...

Employers took 1,328 mass layoff actions in January involving 134,026 workers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Data are seasonally adjusted.) Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. Mass layoff events decreased by ...

Sales of new single-family houses in January 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 437,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 15.6 percent (±18.9%) above the revised December rate of 378,000 and is 28.9 percent (±21.7%) above the ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in January, rebounded in February. The Index now stands at 69.6 (1985=100), up from 58.4 in January. The Present Situation Index increased to 63.3 from 56.2. The Expectations Index improved to 73.8 from 59.9 last ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region rebounded in February after declining in January, according to the Richmond Fed’s latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, factory shipments and employment returned to positive territory, while the volume of new orders stabilized. Other indicators also suggested ...

Data through December 2012, released today by S&P Dow Jones Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, showed that all three headline composites ended the year with strong gains. The national composite posted an increase of 7.3% for 2012. The 10- and 20-City Composites reported annual returns ...

The ICSC-Goldman Sachs (ICSC-GS) chain store sales index for the week ending February 23, 2013 rose by 0.1% from its prior week's level and improved on a year-over-year basis to 2.9%--its strongest showing since the week ending January 19 (+3.2%). According to the ICSC-GS consumer tracking survey, the week's improvement was especially ...

Texas factory activity expanded in February, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, fell from 12.9 to 6.2, suggesting growth continued but at a ...

Led by declines in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.32 in January from +0.25 in December. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index decreased from December, and only two of the four categories made positive contributions to the index ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. rose 0.2 percent in January to 94.1 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in December, and no change in November.

The U.S. LEI rose again in January, pointing to a slow but continued expansion in economic activity in the near term. Despite continued weakness in manufacturers’ new orders and consumer expectations, improvements in housing permits and financial components helped boost the ...

Existing-home sales edged up in January, while a seller's market is developing and home prices continue to rise steadily above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of Realtors® . Sales rose in every region but the West, which is the region most constrained by ...

Manufacturers responding to the February Business Outlook Survey reported declines in activity this month. Following reported growth in late 2012, indicators for general activity and new orders have now registered negative readings for the past two months. However, indicators for shipments and employment were slightly positive this month. ...

For the week ending February 9, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased by 0.7 percent following a 0.4 percent increase in the prior week. Chain Store Sales fell this week, likely due to the snow storm hitting along the East Coast. MBA’s Purchase Index also declined largely after a 2.2 percent reading in the previous week. On ...

In the week ending February 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 362,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 360,750, an increase of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees rose 0.2 percent from December to January, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The increase in real average hourly earnings was due to a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with an unchanged Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was unchanged in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.6 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent in January. ...

The Producer Price Index for finished goods advanced 0.2 percent in January, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Prices for finished goods declined 0.3 percent in December and 0.4 percent in November. At the earlier stages of processing, the index for intermediate goods was unchanged in January, and crude ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 925,000. This is 1.8 percent (±0.9%) above the revised December rate of 909,000 and is 35.2 percent (±1.5%) above the January 2012 estimate of 684,000. Single-family authorizations in January were at a rate ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending February 16, 2013 rose smartly by 2.7% from its prior week’s level ‐‐ but weakened to a 1.8% pace relative to last year. Valentine’s Day gift shopping helped to propel consumer traffic in some segments, but business was mixed overall. Over the last week, segments that ...

Mortgage applications decreased 1.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 15, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 1.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 1 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 2 ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes was virtually unchanged in February with a one-point decline to 46 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today.

Following solid gains over the past year, builder confidence has essentially leveled out and held in the same three-point range over the last four months. This is partly due to ongoing uncertainties about job growth and consumer access to mortgage credit, but it’s also a ...

The outlook for growth in the U.S. economy over the next three years looks mostly unchanged from that of three months ago, according to 46 forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The panel expects real GDP to grow at an annual rate of 2.1 percent this quarter and 2.3 percent next quarter and to rise to 2.7 percent in ...

Industrial production edged down 0.1 percent in January after having risen 0.4 percent in December. In January, manufacturing output decreased 0.4 percent following upwardly revised gains of 1.1 percent in December and 1.7 percent in November. For the fourth quarter as a whole, manufacturing production is now estimated to have advanced 1.9 ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for December 2012. The sum total in December of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $25.2 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were $26.1 billion, ...

The February 2013 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers improved for the first time since the summer of last year. The general business conditions index rose into positive territory, advancing eighteen points to 10.0. The new orders index also rose sharply, climbing twenty points to 13.3, and ...

For the week ending February 2, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rebounded by 0.4 percent following a 0.3 percent decrease in the prior week. Businesses in the consumption side, especially Chain Store Sales which recovered from four consecutive weeks’ declines, picked up considerably. Railroad Freight Carloadings also bounced back ...

In the week ending February 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 341,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 352,500, an increase of 1,500 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 December, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,274.1 billion, up 0.3 percent (±0.2 %) from November 2012 and up 3.6 percent (±0.4 %) from ...

The price index for U.S. imports increased 0.6 percent in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following declines of 0.5 percent and 0.7 percent the previous two months. The January upturn was primarily led by higher fuel prices. U.S. export prices rose 0.3 percent in January after declining 0.1 percent in December and ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $416.6 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 4.4 percent (±0.7%) above January 2012. Total ...

Mortgage applications decreased 6.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 8, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 6.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 5 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 6 ...

There were 3.6 million job openings on the last business day of December, little changed from November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and separations rate (3.0 percent) also were little changed in December. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending February 9, 2013 reversed its prior week’s rise ‐‐ falling 2.5% from the prior week ‐‐ and on a year‐over‐year basis weakened to 2.1%. Grocery stores, wholesale clubs and drug stores seemed to benefit from the stocking‐up effect ahead of the blizzard that hit ...

The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism increased 0.9 points to 88.9, still one of the lowest readings in the survey’s 40 year history. Economic growth in the fourth quarter turned negative. Yes, 2 million jobs were added last year, but the population grew by 3 million so, mathematically, far fewer of those who were dislocated by the ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that December 2012 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 $418.9 billion, virtually unchanged (+/-0.5)* from the revised November level, but were up 3.7 ...

The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $38.5 billion in December from $48.6 billion in November (revised), 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 December exports of $186.4 billion and imports of $224.9 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $38.5 billion, down from $48.6 ...

Consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6-1/2 percent during the fourth quarter. Revolving credit was little changed, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 9-1/2 percent. In December, consumer credit increased at an annual rate of ...

For the week ending January 26, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer declined by 0.3 percent after leveling out in the prior week. This week’s drop principally resulted from decreases in the consumption side. Chain Store Sales decreased this week again marking the fourth week of consecutive drops since the beginning of the year. The ...

In the week ending February 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 366,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 371,000. The 4-week moving average was 350,500, a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average ...

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased at a 2.0 percent annual rate during the fourth quarter of 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The decrease in productivity reflects increases of 0.1 percent in output and 2.2 percent in hours worked. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally ...

Mortgage applications increased 3.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 1, 2013. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Martin Luther ...

Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in January for the 37th consecutive month, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in the latest Non-Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®.

The NMI™ registered 55.2 percent in January, 0.5 percentage point lower than the seasonally adjusted 55.7 percent registered in December. This indicates continued growth at a slightly slower rate in the non-manufacturing sector. The Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending February 2, 2013 jumped by 2.4% from the prior week and on a year‐over‐year basis improved a notch to 2.6%. The ICSC‐GS consumer tracking survey found that business was stronger over the past week for specialty stores, wholesale clubs, dollar stores and apparel stores, ...