Consumer confidence continued to improve in the March survey due to more positive signs of expanding employment. Rising home prices also had a positive impact on consumer balance sheets and their willingness to purchase homes and vehicles. The major problem now facing consumers is meager income increases, with half of all consumers expecting ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the Chicago Business Barometer veered downward, falling 4.4 points to 52.4 in March. After a strong start to the year, the Business Barometer was knocked back by steep declines in New Orders, Production, and another disappointing dip in Order Backlogs. All other Business Activity measures also declined ...

Personal income increased $143.2 billion, or 1.1 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $127.8 billion, or 1.1 percent, in February, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $77.2 billion, or 0.7 percent. In January, personal income decreased $513.5 billion, or 3.7 ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity fell at a slower rate in March, but producers were considerably more optimistic about future months. A little over half of all firms indicated a short supply of workers, but the majority said wage pressures were generally contained. Most price indexes decreased somewhat after several months of ...

For the week ending March 16, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rebounded slightly by 0.1 percent following a 0.2 percent decrease a week before. This week’s gain resulted from Chain Store Sales, which rose for two consecutive weeks by 1.3 percent and 0.7 percent in the prior week and reached the highest level in 2013. There were ...

In the week ending March 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 357,000, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 341,000. The 4-week moving average was 343,000, an increase of 2,250 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 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the ...

February pending home sales flattened with limited buyer choices, but remained at the second highest level in nearly three years, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, slipped 0.4 percent to 104.8 in February from a downwardly revised 105.2 in January, but is 8.4 percent higher than February 2012 when it was 96.6. Contract activity has been above ...

Mortgage applications increased 7.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 22, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 8 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 8 ...

Sales of new single-family houses in February 2013 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 4.6 percent (±20.4%) below the revised January rate of 431,000, but is 12.3 percent (±23.3%)* above ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved in February, declined in March. The Index now stands at 59.7 (1985=100), down from 68.0 in February. The Present Situation Index decreased to 57.9 from 61.4. The Expectations Index declined to 60.9 from 72.4 ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region expanded at a slower pace in March after rebounding in February, according to the Richmond Fed’s latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, factory shipments and employment remained in positive territory, while the volume of new orders declined somewhat. Other indicators ...

Data through January 2013, 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 average home prices increased 7.3% for the 10-City Composite and 8.1% for the 20-City Composite in the 12 months ending in ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in February increased $12.4 billion or 5.7 percent to $232.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up five of the last six months, followed a 3.8 percent January decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending March 23, 2013 dropped by 1.7% from its prior week's level and its year‐over‐year pace slowed to 1.0%. The year‐over‐year pace was the slowest since February 27, 2010 (+0.7%). An abnormally cold bout of weather curbed consumer demand for spring goods—especially ...

Texas factory activity increased in March, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 6.2 to 9.9, indicating a slightly faster pace of output growth. The share of manufacturers noting a decrease in production fell to ...

Led by gains in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) increased to +0.44 in February from –0.49 in January. All four broad categories of indicators that make up the index increased from January, and three of the four categories made positive contributions to the index ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 0.1% in January, to a seasonally adjusted level of 97.0 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was up 1.9% in December. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) moved down 0.3% in January. Regional output rose 6.4% in January from a ...

Employers took 1,422 mass layoff actions in February involving 135,468 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 increased by ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. rose 0.5 percent in February to 94.8 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in January, and a 0.4 percent increase in December.

This month’s increase in the U.S. LEI – the third consecutive – was widespread and driven by a majority of its components. Even though consumer expectations and manufacturing new orders remain weak, the economy continues to expand slowly, and may be developing some ...

February existing-home sales and prices affirm a healthy recovery is underway in the housing sector, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 consecutive months of year-over-year ...

Manufacturers responding to the March Business Outlook Survey reported slight increases in business activity this month. Indicators for general activity and new orders increased notably, following negative readings over the previous two months. Indicators for shipments and employment remained positive and improved slightly this month. Changes ...

For the week ending March 9, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased slightly by 0.2 percent following a 0.4 percent increase a week before. The biggest drop among the components was Railroad Freight Carloardings, which declined by 2.9 percent following a 2.4 percent increase. Meanwhile Chain Store Sales rose by 0.7 percent ...

In the week ending March 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 334,000. The 4-week moving average was 339,750, a decrease of 7,500 from the previous week's revised average ...

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in January suggests a return to moderate economic growth following a pause late last year. Labor market conditions have shown signs of improvement in recent months but the unemployment rate remains elevated. Household spending and business fixed investment advanced, and the ...

Mortgage applications decreased 7.1 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 15, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 7.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 8 ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in February were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 946,000. This is 4.6 percent (±0.8%) above the revised January rate of 904,000 and is 33.8 percent (±1.4%) above the February 2012 estimate of 707,000. Single-family authorizations in February were at a rate ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending March 16, 2013 rose by 1.4% from its prior week's level and its year‐over‐year pace improved to 2.3%. According to the ICSC‐GS consumer tracking survey, retail business was stronger over the past week than the prior week’s pace at grocery stores, apparel ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes paused for a third consecutive month in March, with a two-point reduction to 44 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today.

Following eight consecutive months of improvement, builder confidence leveled off in January and has since edged down several points. Although many of our members are reporting increased demand for new homes in their markets, their enthusiasm is being tempered by ...

Industrial production increased 0.7 percent in February after having been unchanged in January. Manufacturing output rose 0.8 percent in February, and the index revised up for the previous two months. In February, the output of utilities advanced 1.6 percent, as temperatures for the month were near their seasonal norms after two months ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for January 2013. The sum total in January of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $110.9 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were $63.5 billion, ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.7 percent in February on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.0 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The gasoline index rose 9.1 percent in February to account for ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.6 percent from January to February, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from a 0.2 percent increase in average hourly earnings being more than offset by a 0.7 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The March 2013 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers continued to improve modestly. The general business conditions index was positive for a second consecutive month and, at 9.2, was little changed. The new orders and shipments indexes also remained above zero, though both were somewhat lower ...

For the week ending March 2, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by 0.5 percent following a slight decrease a week before. The pickup this week mainly stemmed from the consumption side but even the most of the production indexes, excluding Lumber Production, showed improvements. The biggest contribution to the barometer was ...

The U.S. current-account deficit—the combined balances on trade in goods and services, income, and net unilateral current transfers—decreased to $110.4 billion (preliminary) in the fourth quarter from $112.4 billion (revised) in the third quarter. The decrease in the current-account deficit was accounted for by increases in the surpluses on ...

The Producer Price Index for finished goods increased 0.7 percent in February, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Prices for finished goods moved up 0.2 percent in January and declined 0.3 percent in December. At the earlier stages of processing, the index for intermediate goods advanced 1.3 percent ...

In the week ending March 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 332,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 346,750, a decrease of 2,750 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 January, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,268.8 billion, down 0.3 percent (±0.3%) from December 2012 and up 2.9 percent (±0.4%) from January ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $421.4 billion, an increase of 1.1 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month and 4.6 percent (±0.7%) above February 2012. ...

The price index for U.S. imports rose 1.1 percent in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, after increasing 0.6 percent the previous month. The February and January rises were both driven by higher fuel prices. U.S. export prices advanced 0.8 percent in February following a 0.3 percent increase ...

Mortgage applications decreased 4.7 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 8, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 4.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 4 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 5 ...

There were 3.7 million job openings on the last business day of January, little changed from December, 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 January. 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 March 9, 2013 rose by 0.7% from its prior week's level, but its year‐over‐year pace held steady at 1.8%. According to the ICSC‐GS consumer tracking survey, business strengthened appreciably at grocery stores over the past week relative to the prior year’s ...

The NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism increased 1.9 points in February, to 90.8. While a nice improvement over the last several reports, the Index remains on par with the 2008 average and below the trough of the 1991-92 and 2001-02 recessions. The direction of February’s change is positive, but not indicative of a surge in confidence ...

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) increased in February. The index now stands at 111.14, up from 109.93 (an upward revision) in January. The February figure is 3.2 percent higher than a year ago.

As a result of the large increase in February, and positive revisions to earlier months, the Employment Trends index is signaling an improving employment environment. However, even though the labor market has gained in recent months, the looming sequester is likely to slow ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that January 2013 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 $415.4 billion, down 0.8 percent (+/-7%) from the revised December level, but were up 3.0 percent ...

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 236,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged down to 7.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in professional and business services, construction, and health care.

The unemployment rate edged down to 7.7 percent in February but has shown little movement, on net, since September 2012. The number of unemployed persons, at 12.0 million, also edged lower in February. ...

In January, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7 percent. Revolving credit was little changed, while nonrevolving credit increased 10 percent.

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