The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in March, increased in April. The Index now stands at 68.1 (1985=100), up from 61.9 in March. The Present Situation Index increased to 60.4 from 59.2. The Expectations Index improved to 73.3 from 63.7 ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported April's Chicago Business Barometer fell 3.4 to 49.0, a 3-1/2 year low. Except for a minor gain in New Orders, all Business Activity measures weakened in April with five of seven now in contraction.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:
SUPPLIER DELIVERIES, PRICES PAID, and PRODUCTION: all lowest since 2009;
ORDER BACKLOGS: ten months of contraction in the past 12 months;
EMPLOYMENT: third month over month decline. ...

Data through February 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 8.6% and 9.3% for the 10- and 20-City Composites in the 12 months ending in February 2013. The 10- and 20-City Composites rose 0.4% and 0.3% from January ...

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending March 2013, essentially unchanged from the 0.4 percent increase for the December 2012 3-month period. Wages and salaries increased 0.5 percent for the current period compared to a 0.3 percent increase for the December 2012 ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 2.6 percent year on year for the week that ended on April 27, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. On a week-to-week basis, comparable-store sales rose just 0.4 percent led by stronger consumer spending at wholesale clubs ...

Texas factory activity was flat in April, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, fell from 9.9 to -0.5. The near-zero reading indicates output was little changed from ...

Pending home sales increased in March and remain above year-ago levels, but contract activity in recent months shows only modest movement, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 1.5 percent to 105.7 in March from a downwardly revised 104.1 in February, and is 7.0 percent above March 2012 when it was 98.8. Pending sales have been above year-ago levels for the ...

Personal income increased $30.9 billion, or 0.2 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $20.7 billion, or 0.2 percent, in March, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $21.0 billion, or 0.2 percent. In February, personal income increased $151.2 billion, or 1.1 percent, ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 0.3% in March, to a seasonally adjusted level of 96.5 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was up 1.1% in February. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG), however, moved down 0.1% in March. Regional output rose 6.4% in March from a ...

The overall level of confidence declined in April from March, but was identical to last April reading. Most of the April loss was in how consumers viewed future economic prospects. In particular, consumers were less optimistic about the ability of the economy to continue to expand without a renewed downturn sometime in the next five years. ...

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 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013 (that is, from the fourth quarter to the first quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity continued to fall modestly, at a pace similar to last month, and producers’ expectations moderated while still remaining positive overall. Of the firms that reported optimism on future activity, several cited new product opportunities and pent up demand as key reasons for a more positive outlook. ...

For the week ending April 13, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was flat following an increase of 0.1 percent in the prior week. Chain Store Sales’ drop, which declined by 1.1 percent for the first time in three weeks, offset the gains of MBA’s Purchase Index. In the production indexes, there were no significant rise and fall other ...

In the week ending April 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 339,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 355,000. The 4-week moving average was 357,500, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in March decreased $13.1 billion or 5.7 percent to $216.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down two of the last three months, followed a 4.3 percent February increase. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.4 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased ...

Mortgage applications increased 0.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 19, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 1 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 0.3 ...

Employers took 1,337 mass layoff actions in March involving 127,939 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 March 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 417,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 1.5 percent (±16.9%) above the revised February rate of 411,000 and is 18.5 percent (±17.2%) above the March ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region pulled back in April after growing at a slower pace in March, according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. The index of overall activity landed in negative territory, driven by weak readings for factory shipments and volume of new orders. Employment, however, remained in positive ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 1.9 percent year on year for the week that ended on April 20, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. The week-to-week change in comparable-store sales reflected a slight increase of 0.8 percent.

“Although aggregate sales popped up by 0.8 percent for the latest week, ending April 20, sales were mixed with improved performance at grocery stores and discounters, but weaker business for electronics, office, apparel, department, drug and other specialty stores,” said ...

Existing-home sales eased in March from inventory constraints, which continued to pressure home prices, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, declined 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million in March from a downwardly revised 4.95 million in February, but ...

Led by declines in production- and employment-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.23 in March from +0.76 in February. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index decreased from February, and only one of the four categories made a positive contribution to the index ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. declined 0.1 percent in March to 94.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in February, and a 0.5 percent increase in January.

After three consecutive gains, the U.S. LEI dipped slightly in March, with equally balanced strengths and weaknesses among its components. The leading indicator still points to a continuing but slow growth environment. Weakness in consumer expectations and housing permits ...

Manufacturers responding to the Business Outlook Survey reported near steady business activity in April. The indicator for overall activity remained slightly positive this month, but other broad indicators were mixed. Indicators for new orders and employment were weaker this month. The survey's broad indicators of future activity suggest ...

For the week ending April 6, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased slightly by 0.1 percent following a rise of 0.6 percent in the prior week. Most of the barometer components showed moves this week including a gain of Chain Store Sales. As to the production indexes, aside from Truck Production and Steel Production which increased ...

In the week ending April 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 352,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 348,000. The 4-week moving average was 361,250, an increase of 2,750 from the previous week's revised average ...

Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggest overall economic activity expanded at a moderate pace during the reporting period from late February to early April. Activity in the Cleveland, Richmond, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Kansas City Districts was characterized as growing at a moderate pace, while the Boston, ...

Mortgage applications increased 4.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending April 12, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 4.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 5 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 5 ...

Industrial production rose 0.4 percent in March after having increased 1.1 percent in February. For the first quarter as a whole, output moved up at an annual rate of 5.0 percent, its largest gain since the first quarter of 2012. Manufacturing output edged down 0.1 percent in March after having risen 0.9 percent in February; the index advanced ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.2 percent in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.5 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The all items seasonally adjusted decrease was primarily due to a 4.4 ...

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

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in March were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 902,000. This is 3.9 percent (±0.9%) below the revised February rate of 939,000, but is 17.3 percent (±1.4%) above the March 2012 estimate of 769,000. Single-family authorizations in March were at a rate of ...

U.S. weekly chain-store sales rose 2 percent year on year for the period that ended on April 13, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. However, on a week-to-week basis, comparable-store sales fell 1.1 percent after posting gains the past ...

Facing increasing costs for building materials and rising concerns about the supply of developed lots and labor, builders registered less confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes in April, with a two-point drop to 42 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for February 2013. The sum total in February of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $53.6 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were $44.4 billion, ...

The April 2013 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers improved slightly. The general business conditions index fell six points, but at 3.1, remained positive for a third consecutive month. Similarly, the new orders index was lower than last month but still positive, dipping six points to 2.2, and ...

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 $1,286.7 billion, up 1.2 percent (±0.2) from January 2013 and up 3.7 percent (±0.4) from ...

The Producer Price Index for finished goods decreased 0.6 percent in March, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Finished goods prices rose 0.7 percent in February and 0.2 percent in January. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods fell 0.9 percent in ...

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 $418.3 billion, a decrease of 0.4 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month, but 2.8 percent (±0.7%) above March 2012. Total sales ...

For the week ending March 30, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer soared by 0.6 percent following a flat reading in the prior week. This week’s jump resulted from a considerable rise in Chain Store Sales, which rose by 4.7 percent after dropping by 1.7 percent a week ago. Although Easter holidays shifted to earlier dates this year, the ...

In the week ending April 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 346,000, a decrease of 42,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 388,000. The 4-week moving average was 358,000, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average ...

The price index for U.S. imports declined 0.5 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following increases of 0.6 percent in February and 0.5 percent in January. The March decrease was primarily led by a downturn in fuel prices. U.S. export prices fell 0.4 percent in March after rising 0.7 percent ...

There were 3.9 million job openings on the last business day of February, up from 3.6 million in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.3 percent) and separations rate (3.1 percent) were little changed in February. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that February 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 $422.5 billion, up 1.7 percent (+/-0.5%) from the revised January level and were up 3.7 percent ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Retail Chain Store Sales Index edged up 0.7% in the week ended Saturday from the week before on a seasonally adjusted, comparable-store basis, as cold weather damped down spring-merchandise sales. U.S. weekly chain-store sales rose 2.1 percent year on year for the week that ended ...

After three months of sustained growth, the March NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism ended its slow climb, declining 1.3 points and landing at 89.5. In the 44 months of economic expansion since the beginning of the recovery in July 2009, the Index has averaged 90.7, putting the March reading below the mean for this period. Of the ten ...

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index™ (ETI) fell in March. The index now stands at 111.20, down from 111.43 (an upward revision) in February. The March figure is 3.7 percent higher than a year ago.

Despite the decline in March, the Employment Trends index is still signaling moderate job growth in the coming months. The current trend suggests faster growth than the disappointing increase of 88,000 jobs in March. At the same time, 200,000 new jobs per month in the ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 0.8% in February, to a seasonally adjusted level of 96.3 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was up 0.4% in January. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) moved up 0.6% in February. Regional output rose 5.9% in February from a ...

In February, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7-3/4 percent. Revolving credit increased at an annual rate of 3/4 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 11 percent.

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Nonfarm payroll employment edged up in March (+88,000), and the unemployment rate was little changed at 7.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment grew in professional and business services and in health care but declined in retail trade.

Both the number of unemployed persons, at 11.7 million, and the unemployment rate, at 7.6 percent, were little changed in March. ...