New York City business activity expanded at the fastest pace in seven months, according to the survey taken by the Institute for Supply Management-New York (ISMNY). The Current Business Conditions index rose to 70.0 in December from 65.6 in November.

Future optimism also reached a seven-month high. The Six-Month Outlook index increased to 75.2 in December from 71.9 in November. ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity continued at a solid pace in December, and producers were increasingly optimistic about future activity. Price indexes in the survey rose further, with a marked increase in raw materials prices.

The net percentage of firms reporting month-over-month increases in production in December was 21, unchanged from 21 in November and up from 10 in October. Specific industry activity was mixed, with the majority of durable firms reporting an increase in production while ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the CHICAGO BUSINESS BAROMETER achieved its highest level since July 1988, expanding for the fifteenth consecutive month.

BUSINESS ACTIVITY:
PRODUCTION reached its highest levels since October 2004;
NEW ORDERS improved to 2005 levels;
EMPLOYMENT reached its highest level in more than 5 years;
PRICES PAID accelerated to its highest point since July 2008. ...

Pending home sales rose again in November, with the broad trend over the past five months indicating a gradual recovery into 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator, rose 3.5 percent to 92.2 based on contracts signed in November from a downwardly revised 89.1 in October. The index is 5.0 percent below a reading of 97.0 in November 2009. The data reflects contracts and not ...

For the week ending December 18, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer jumped by +1.6 percent with ninety percent of the components posting gains. The strongest gainers were inflation-adjusted chain store sales, truck production, and lumber and steel production. Motor vehicle production will kick around the barometer in the final weeks of ...

In the week ending Dec. 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 388,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 422,000. The 4-week moving average was 414,000, a decrease of 12,500 from the previous week's revised average of ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region expanded at a quicker pace in December according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. All broad indicators — shipments, new orders and employment — posted solid gains. Other indicators also suggested stronger activity. District contacts reported that order backlogs returned to ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved in November, decreased slightly in December. The Index now stands at 52.5 (1985=100), down from 54.3 in November. The Present Situation Index declined to 23.5 from 25.4. The Expectations Index decreased to 71.9 from 73.6 ...

Data through October 2010, released today by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show a deceleration in the annual growth rates in 18 of the 20 MSAs and the 10- and 20-City Composites in October compared to what was reported for September 2010. The 10-City Composite was up ...

The week leading up to Christmas Day 2010 proved to be filled with holiday cheer for retailers that posted their third week of positive sales results as consumers rushed to finish their shopping. For the week ending December 25, retail sales rose by 1.0 percent from the prior week, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) increased 0.4% in November, to a seasonally adjusted level of 81.1 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index edged up 0.3% in October to 80.8. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) increased 0.3% in November. Regional output in November rose 7.9% from ...

Texas factory activity increased in December, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, was positive for the fourth consecutive month.

Other indicators of current activity also remained positive, signaling continued growth in manufacturing. The shipments index held steady at a reading of 8, and the capacity utilization index rose from 10 to 15, with 29 percent of manufacturers reporting an increase. The ...

Sales of new single-family houses in November 2010 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 290,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 5.5 percent (±16.2%) above the revised October rate of 275,000, but is 21.2 percent (±13.3%) below the ...

Consumer confidence improved in December to its best level in six months and its second highest level since the start of 2008. The gain was due to improved employment expectations that made consumers more willing to spend and adopt more favorable prospects for the overall economy. Consumers reported much more favorable news about recent changes ...

For the week ending December 11, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by +0.2 percent following a sharp correction in the prior week. Diffusion looked good in the latest week with seventy percent of the components increasing. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales bounced back after the post-Thanksgiving lull in the prior week, and ...

Personal income increased $42.3 billion, or 0.3 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $37.8 billion, or 0.3 percent, in November, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $43.3 billion, or 0.4 percent. In October, personal income increased $49.5 billion, or 0.4 percent, ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in November decreased $2.6 billion or 1.3 percent to $193.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down three of the last four months, followed a 3.1 percent October decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.4 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased ...

In the week ending Dec. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 426,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of ...

Employers took 1,586 mass layoff actions in November involving 152,816 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 persons from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in ...

Existing-home sales got back on an upward path in November, resuming a growth trend since bottoming in July, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 5.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.68 million in November from 4.43 million in October, but are 27.9 percent below the cyclical peak ...

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 2.6 percent in the third quarter of 2010, (that is, from the second quarter to the third quarter), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 10, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2.7 percent ...

With the last full week of holiday shopping before us, consumers rushed to finish their holiday shopping this past week which ended with “Super Saturday” — December 18 — one of the busiest shopping days of the year. As a result, for the week ending December 18, weekly retail sales rose sharply by 1.7 percent, according to the ICSC-Goldman ...

Led by declines in employment-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index decreased to –0.46 in November from –0.25 in October. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index deteriorated from October to November, with only the production and income ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 1.1 percent in November to 112.4 (2004=100), following a 0.4 percent increase in October, and a 0.6 percent increase in September.

November’s sharp increase in the LEI, the fifth consecutive gain, is an early sign that the expansion is gaining momentum and spreading. Nearly all components rose in November. Continuing strength in financial indicators is now joined by gains in manufacturing and consumer ...

Results from the Business Outlook Survey suggest that regional manufacturing conditions continued to improve in December. All of the broad indicators remained positive and suggest an expansion of activity. Increases in input prices were more widespread this month, and more firms reported increases in prices for their manufactured goods. ...

For the week ending December 4, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer dropped by -0.7 percent, after increasing for four consecutive weeks. Seasonal adjustment surrounding the timing of holiday shutdowns for auto manufacturers caused a big jump in auto production in the week ending November 27th that was reversed in the following week. ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 530,000. This is 4.0 percent (±2.9%) below the revised October rate of 552,000 and is 14.7 percent (±1.7%) below the November 2009 estimate of 621,000. Single-family authorizations in November were at a rate ...

The U.S. current-account deficit—the combined balances on trade in goods and services, income, and net unilateral current transfers—increased to $127.2 billion (preliminary) in the third quarter of 2010, from $123.2 billion (revised) in the second quarter of 2010. The increase was the fifth consecutive quarterly increase since the deficit of ...

In the week ending Dec. 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 420,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 423,000. The 4-week moving average was 422,750, a decrease of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average of ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes remained unchanged in December from the previous month at 16 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today.

Builders are bracing themselves for a slow holiday season as a number of factors continue to cause uncertainty among consumers and builders alike. While the HMI is adjusted for seasonal factors, the typical cold-weather slowdown in sales activity is being accentuated by ...

Industrial production increased 0.4 percent in November after a decline of 0.2 percent in October. The rate of change for industrial production was revised down in October but up in September; the net effect of the revisions from June to October left the level of industrial production in October about the same as was previously reported. In ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for October 2010. Net foreign purchases of long-term securities were $27.6 billion.

Net foreign purchases of long-term U.S. securities were $54.7 billion. Of this, net purchases by private foreign investors were $62.2 billion, and net purchases by foreign official institutions were negative $7.5 billion. U.S. residents purchased a net $27.1 billion of ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The indexes for food, energy, and all items less food and energy all increased slightly in November. The index for food at home rose in November after being unchanged in October, with the indexes for eggs and nonalcoholic beverages both rising notably. Although the index ...

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions improved in December for New York State manufacturers. After dropping sharply into negative territory in November, the general business conditions index bounced back above zero, climbing 22 points to 10.6. The new orders and shipments indexes also rose above zero, while the ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.1 percent from October to November, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This decrease stems from a 0.1 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), while average hourly earnings ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 10, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2.7 percent ...

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in November confirms that the economic recovery is continuing, though at a rate that has been insufficient to bring down unemployment. Household spending is increasing at a moderate pace, but remains constrained by high unemployment, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for October, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,118.8 billion, up 1.4 percent (±0.2%) from September 2010 and up 9.3 percent (±0.4%) from ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $378.7 billion, an increase of 0.8 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month, and 7.7 percent (±0.7%) above November 2009. ...

The Producer Price Index for Finished Goods rose 0.8 percent in November, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This increase followed a 0.4-percent advance in both October and September. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods climbed 1.1 percent in ...

With only a few more weeks left in the 2010 holiday-shopping season consumers finally got into the spirit with the traditional last minute holiday rush beginning to build. Overall, for the week ending December 11, weekly retail sales rose modestly by 0.8 percent, according to the ICSC-Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index. In ...

The Index of Small Business Optimism gained 1.5 points in November after a 2.7 point gain in October, rising to 93.2. Still, the Index remains in recession territory. Consumer optimism measures grudgingly gave up modest improvements as did the Index, but nowhere is there evidence of a “surge” as experienced in 1983 after the deep recessions ...

The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $38.7 billion in October from $44.6 billion (revised) in September, 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 October exports of $158.7 billion and imports of $197.4 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $38.7 billion, down from $44.6 billion ...

U.S. import prices increased 1.3 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 1.0 percent advance the previous month. Rising prices for fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to both the November and October increases. Prices for U.S. exports also rose in November, increasing 1.5 percent after advancing ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that October 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 $362.1 billion, up 2.2 percent (+/-0.7%) from the revised September level and were up 13.4 percent ...

For the week ending November 27, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer jumped by +0.4 percent, increasing for a fourth consecutive week. As expected, inflation-adjusted chain store sales surged in the week that included Thanksgiving’s cyber sales, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. All in all, retailers reported a very successful holiday ...

In the week ending Dec. 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 421,000, a decrease of 17,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 438,000. The 4-week moving average was 427,500, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average of ...

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) today released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending December 3, 2010. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 22.8 percent ...

Consumer credit increased at an annual rate of 1-3/4 percent in October 2010. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 8-1/2 percent, and nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 6-3/4 percent.

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