October 2012: The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported November's Chicago Business Barometer improved to 50.4. After two consecutive months in contraction, the Business Barometer was led higher by advances in Production, Employment, and Supplier Deliveries while New Orders subtracted from economic ...

Personal income increased $0.4 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $0.8 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, in October, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $20.2 billion, or 0.2 percent. In September, personal income increased $47.8 billion, ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity eased further in November, while producers' expectations were unchanged from last month at modestly positive levels. Several contacts noted uncertainties about the upcoming fiscal cliff, and a few producers cited delayed deliveries and reduced orders from the East Coast as a result of the Hurricane ...

Pending home sales rose strongly in October with mixed regional results, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 5.2 percent to 104.8 in October from an upwardly revised 99.6 in September and is 13.2 percent above October 2011 when it was 92.6. The data reflect contracts but not closings. ...

For the week ending November 17, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was down by 0.2 percent following a flat reading in the previous week. On production side, truck and lumber production declined slightly. On consumption side, Chain Store Sales declined by 0.2% but not so worrisome data following 0.7% increase in the ...

In the week ending November 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 393,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 416,000. The 4-week moving average was 405,250, an increase of 7,500 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 2.7 percent in the third quarter of 2012 (that is, from the second quarter to the third quarter), according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the ...

Economic activity expanded at a measured pace in recent weeks, according to reports from contacts in the twelve Federal Reserve Districts. Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco grew at a modest pace, while St. Louis and Minneapolis indicated a somewhat stronger increase in activity. In contrast, ...

Sales of new single-family houses in October 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 368,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 0.3 percent (±18.3%) below the revised September rate of 369,000, but is 17.2 percent (±21.2%) above the ...

Mortgage applications decreased 0.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 23, 2012. This week’s results include an adjustment for the ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had increased in October, posted a moderate increase in November. The Index now stands at 73.7 (1985=100), up from 73.1 in October. The Present Situation Index was virtually unchanged at 56.6 versus 56.7 last month. The Expectations Index rose to 85.1 from 84.0 ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region advanced moderately in November following a slight pullback in October, according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. All broad indicators — shipments, new orders and employment — landed in positive territory. Other indicators were mixed, however. Capacity utilization was virtually ...

Data through September 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 home prices continued to rise in the third quarter of 2012. The national composite was up 3.6% in the third quarter of 2012 versus the third quarter of 2011, and was up 2.2% ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in October increased slightly to $216.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up five of the last six months, followed a 9.2 percent September increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.1 percent. Machinery, ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) decreased 1.2% in October, to a seasonally adjusted level of 92.1 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was down 0.6% in September. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) moved down 0.8% in October. Regional output rose 5.9% in October from a ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending November 24 rose by a strong 3.3% from the prior week as Black Friday promotions, extended holiday‐store hours on Thanksgiving Day and strong online sales propelled the week's performance. On a year‐over‐year basis, the ICSC‐GS sales index posted a strong 4.0% gain ...

Texas factory activity was little changed in November, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, came in at 1.7, indicating output barely increased ...

Led by declines in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.56 in October from 0.00 in September. All four broad categories of indicators that make up the index decreased from September, and only two made positive contributions to the index ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.2 percent in October to 96.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in September, and a 0.4 percent decline in August.

The U.S. LEI increased slightly in October, the second consecutive increase. The LEI still points to modestly expanding economic activity in the near term. Over the last six months, improvements in the residential construction and financial components of the LEI have offset ...

For the week ending November 10, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was flat following a marginal increase in the previous week. Indexes on production side were mixed as auto and lumber production continued to increase and electrical output made a rebound, weakness in steel production and truck production weighed on the total index. ...

Consumer confidence remained largely unchanged from last month at its highest level in five years. When asked to identify any recent economic news, consumers more frequently made unfavorable references to potential changes in future federal tax and spending pro-grams as well as the inability of the political parties to reach a timely ...

In the week ending November 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 410,000, a decrease of 41,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 451,000. The 4-week moving average was 396,250, an increase of 9,500 from the previous week's revised average ...

Mortgage applications decreased 2.2 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 16, 2012. This week’s results include an adjustment to account for the Veteran’s ...

Employers took 1,360 mass layoff actions in October involving 131,173 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 in ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 866,000. This is 2.7 percent (±0.8%) below the revised September rate of 890,000, but is 29.8 percent (±1.8%) above the October 2011 estimate of 667,000. Single-family authorizations in October were at a rate ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending November 17 dipped by 0.3% from the prior week as the sequential pace slowed from a post‐hurricane Sandy restocking impact in the prior week. The ICSC‐GS consumer tracking survey found weaker customer traffic over the past week at discounters, while traffic was ...

Sales of existing homes increased in October, even with some regional impact from Hurricane Sandy, while home prices continued to rise due to lower levels of inventory supply, 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, rose 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.79 million in October from a downwardly revised 4.69 million in September, and are ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes posted a solid, five-point gain to 46 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for November, released today. This marks the seventh consecutive monthly gain in the confidence gauge and brings it to its highest point since May ...

Industrial production declined 0.4 percent in October after having increased 0.2 percent in September. Hurricane Sandy, which held down production in the Northeast region at the end of October, is estimated to have reduced the rate of change in total output by nearly 1 percentage point. The largest estimated storm-related effects ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for September 2012. The sum total in September of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $4.7 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were negative ...

Firms responding to the November Business Outlook Survey reported declines in business activity this month following the disruptive effects of Hurricane Sandy on the region. The survey’s indicators for general activity, which had shown improvement in October, fell back into negative territory this month. Firms reported slight declines ...

For the week ending November 3, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by 0.2 percent after decreasing for three weeks in a row. Most of the production industries showed pickups this week. Both Auto and Truck Production increased by approximately 6 percent and especially, the level of Auto Production bounced back to the level of ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.2 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The shelter index increased 0.3 percent, its largest increase since ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees fell 0.2 percent from September to October, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Average hourly earnings were about unchanged, while the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose ...

In the week ending November 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 439,000, an increase of 78,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 361,000. The 4-week moving average was 383,750, an increase of 11,750 from the previous week's revised average ...

The November Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers declined at a modest pace. The general business conditions index was negative for a fourth consecutive month, but was little changed at -5.2. The new orders index rose above zero for the first time since June, although it was only slightly ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for September, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,263.9 billion, up 1.4 percent (±0.2%) from August 2012 and up 4.4 percent (±0.4%) from ...

The Producer Price Index for finished goods declined 0.2 percent in October, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Prices for finished goods increased 1.1 percent in September and 1.7 percent in August. At the earlier stages of processing, prices received by manufacturers of intermediate goods edged down ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for October, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $411.6 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent (±0.5%)* from the previous month, but 3.8 percent (±0.7%) above October 2011. ...

Mortgage applications increased 12.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 9, 2012.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 12.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from ...

The ICSC‐Goldman Sachs (ICSC‐GS) chain store sales index for the week ending November 10 rebounded by 0.7% from the prior week as post‐hurricane Sandy restocking began. The ICSC‐GS consumer tracking survey found strong grocery‐store customer traffic over the past week relative to recent weeks. But still on a year‐over‐year basis, sales ...

The Optimism Index gained 0.3 points, increasing to 93.1. In the 40 months since the “recovery” started in July 2009, the Index has been higher only eight times. And, it has never exceeded 95. The pre-recession average for the Index is 100. There is nothing of note in the composition of last month’s Index improvement. All the changes were ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that September 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 $414.0 billion, up 2.0 percent (+/-0.7) from the revised August level and were up 4.4 percent (+/-0.9%) ...

The outlook for the U.S. economy is little changed from the survey of three months ago, according to 39 forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The forecasters expect real GDP to grow at an annual rate of 1.8 percent this quarter, down from the previous estimate of 2.2 percent. Over the next three quarters, they ...

The price index for U.S. imports rose 0.5 percent in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following increases for each of the previous two months. Higher fuel and nonfuel prices each contributed to the October advance. U.S. export prices were unchanged in October after increasing 0.8 percent ...

For the week ending October 27, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased by 0.2 percent and fell for the third consecutive week. This week’s drop was dragged down by declines of Auto and Truck Production, which dropped by 4.6 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Steel Production continued to decline three weeks in a row and ...

In the week ending November 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 355,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 363,000. The 4-week moving average was 370,500, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's unrevised average ...

The Nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $41.5 billion in September from $43.8 billion in August (revised), as exports increased more than imports.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that total September exports of $187.0 billion and imports of $228.5 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $41.5 billion, down from $43.8 ...

Consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4 percent in the third quarter. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 1-1/2 perent, while nonrevolving credit increased 6-1/2 percent. In September, consumer credit increased at an annual rate of ...

Mortgage applications decreased 5.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 2, 2012.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 5.0 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 also decreased 5 ...