A rising stock market and higher home prices prompted consumers to report their most improved financial situation in more than five years. The May gain was largest among upper income households (incomes above $80,000), although gains were recorded across all income groups. The overall mix of economic news recently heard by consumers was the ...

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported April's Chicago Business Barometer sprung 9.7 to 58.7, the highest since March 2012 and in sharp contrast to April's 3-1/2 year low. All Business Activity measures surged in May, reversing weakness seen in most categories in March and ...

Personal income decreased $5.6 billion, or less than 0.1 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) decreased $16.1 billion, or 0.1 percent, in April, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $20.5 billion, or 0.2 percent. In March, personal income increased $36.2 billion, or 0.3 ...

Pending home sales improved slightly in April and continue to be well above a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Gains in the Northeast and Midwest were offset largely by declines in the West and South.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 0.3 percent to 106.0 in April from 105.7 in March, and is 10.3 percent above April 2012 when it was 96.1; the data reflect contracts but not closings. ...

For the week ending May 18, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer picked up slightly by 0.2 percent after dropping for two consecutive weeks. The rebound in this week resulted from increases in both production and consumption indexes and there was no negative contribution to the barometer. Railroad Freight Carloadings, an index of ...

eal 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 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2013 (that
is, from the fourth quarter to the first quarter), according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau
of Economic Analysis. In the ...

In the week ending May 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 354,000, an increase of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 344,000. The 4-week moving average was 347,250, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 2.8 percent year on year for the week that ended on May 25, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. However, retail sales slipped 0.9 percent week to week signaling no real consumer incentive ...

Mortgage applications decreased 8.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 24, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 8.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 9 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 12 ...

Texas factory activity increased sharply in May, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from -0.5 to 11.2, indicating a notable pickup in output.

Stronger manufacturing activity was reflected in other survey measures as well. The new orders index rebounded to 6.2 after falling to -4.9 in April. Similarly, the shipments index bounced back to 3.1 after dipping to -0.4. The capacity utilization index came in at 6.4, up ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved in April, increased again in May. The Index now stands at 76.2 (1985=100), up from 69.0 in April. The Present Situation Index increased to 66.7 from 61.0. The Expectations Index improved to 82.4 from 74.3 ...

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate in May after pulling back in April, according to the Richmond Fed’s latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, volume of new orders edged lower and employment turned marginally negative. Shipments however, moved into positive ...

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 ...

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index (CFMMI) decreased 0.5% in April, to a seasonally adjusted level of 95.9 (2007 = 100). Revised data show the index was up 0.3% in March. The Federal Reserve Board’s industrial production index for manufacturing (IPMFG) moved down 0.4% in April. Regional output rose 3.3% in April from a year earlier, ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in April increased $7.2 billion or 3.3 percent to $222.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up two of the last three months, followed a 5.9 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.1 ...

Tenth District manufacturing activity improved somewhat, rising above zero for the first time in seven months, and producers’ expectations for future activity also increased. Most price indexes recorded little changes from the previous month.

The month-over-month composite index was 2 in May, up from -5 in both April and March. The composite index is an average of the production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes. The rise in production came from both durable and ...

Sales of new single-family houses in April 2013 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 2.3 percent (±12.8%) above the revised March rate of 444,000 and is 29.0 percent (±20.7%) above the April ...

For the week ending May 11, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer moved down 0.5 percent for the second consecutive week, the biggest drop since February 9. Both consumption and production showed negative contributions to this week’s barometer. In consumption indexes, Chain Store Sales dropped by 2.0 percent following a 1.1 percent decline ...

In the week ending May 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 340,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 363,000. The 4-week moving average was 339,500, a decrease of 500 from the previous week's revised average ...

Existing-home sales rose in April but remain below underlying demand because of limited inventory and tight credit, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All regions are showing strong price gains from a year ago.

Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million in April from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in March. Resale ...

Employers took 1,199 mass layoff actions in April involving 116,849 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 ...

Mortgage applications decreased 9.8 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 17, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 9.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 10 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 12 ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 3.1 percent year on year for the week that ended on May 18, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. Retail sales were basically flat, or up 0.2 percent, week-to-week, according to the tracking study.

"Consumers played catch-up this past week and helped to propel weekly sales for retailers,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC's vice president of research and chief economist. “However, weather conditions continue to play havoc with the weekly pace of sales." ...

Led by declines in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.53 in April from –0.23 in March. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index decreased from March, and none of the categories made a positive contribution to the index ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.6 percent in April to 95.0 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decline in March, and a 0.4 percent increase in February.

Says Ataman Ozyildirim, economist at The Conference Board: “After a slight decline in March, the U.S. LEI rebounded in April, led by housing permits and the interest rate spread. Labor market conditions also contributed, although consumers’ outlook on the economy remains ...

Manufacturing firms responding to the monthly Business Outlook Survey suggest that regional manufacturing activity weakened this month. All of the survey’s broadest current indicators were negative this month, indicating weaker conditions compared with April. The survey’s indicators of future activity improved, however, and suggest that ...

For the week ending May 4, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer moved down 0.2 percent for the first time in eight weeks. Chain Store Sales decreased by 1.0 percent after two consecutive weeks’ gains. This partially resulted in a decline of this week’s barometer, although Lumber Production of production indexes climbed 3.0 percent and ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased 0.4 percent in April 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.

As was the case in March, a sharp decrease in the gasoline index was the ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.5 percent from March to April, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an increase of 0.2 percent in average hourly earnings combined with a decrease of 0.4 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,017,000. This is 14.3 percent (±1.0%) above the revised March rate of 890,000 and is 35.8 percent (±1.3%) above the April 2012 estimate of 749,000. Single-family authorizations in April were at a rate of ...

In the week ending May 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 360,000, an increase of 32,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 328,000. The 4-week moving average was 339,250, an increase of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes improved three points to a 44 reading on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for May, released today. This gain, from a downwardly revised 41 in April, reflected improvement in all three index components – current sales ...

Industrial production decreased 0.5 percent in April after having increased 0.3 percent in March and 0.9 percent in February. Manufacturing output moved down 0.4 percent in April after a decline of 0.3 percent in March. The index for utilities decreased 3.7 percent in April, as heating demand fell back to a more typical seasonal level after ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for March 2013. The sum total in March of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $2.1 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were negative $34.8 ...

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

The May 2013 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that conditions for New York manufacturers declined marginally. The general business conditions index fell four points to -1.4, its first negative reading since January. The new orders index also edged into negative territory, and the shipments index fell to zero. The prices paid ...

Mortgage applications decreased 7.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 10, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 7.3 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 ...

U.S. import prices fell 0.5 percent in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, following a 0.2 percent decrease in March. Lower prices for both fuel and nonfuel imports contributed to the declines in each month. Prices for U.S. exports decreased 0.7 percent in April after a 0.5 percent decline ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 1.2 percent year on year for the week that ended on May 11, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. The rate of growth was at its lowest level in many weeks. Additionally, week-to-week comparable-store sales fell 2 percent, marking the second consecutive ...

The Index gained 2.6 points, rising to 92.1. That beats falling, but it is barely above the recovery average of 90.7, making it another very poor reading. Four Index components rose, 2 fell, 6 were unchanged, a lot of “noise”, no clear direction. Owners are very pessimistic about the economy, with a net negative 15 percent expecting ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for March, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,269.6 billion, down 1.1 percent (±0.1) from February 2013 and up 1.8 percent (±0.3) from ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $419.0 billion, an increase of 0.1 percent (±0.3%) from the previous month, and 3.7 percent (±0.7%) above April 2012. Total ...

The outlook for growth in the U.S. economy over the next three years is little changed from that of three months ago, according to 42 forecasters surveyed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. The panel expects real GDP to grow at an annual rate of 1.8 percent this quarter and 2.3 percent next quarter and to rise to 3.2 percent in ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that March 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 $414.7 billion, down 1.6 percent (+/-0.4%) from the revised February level, but were up 1.3 percent ...

For the week ending April 27, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was 0.1 percent up following a gain of 0.2 percent in the prior week. Increases in consumption indexes mainly resulted in a slight rise of this week’s barometer. Chain Store Sales rose by 0.4 percent for the second consecutive week and Railroad Freight Carloadings was also ...

In the week ending May 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 323,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 327,000. The 4-week moving average was 336,750, a decrease of 6,250 from the previous week's revised average ...

Mortgage applications increased 7.0 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending May 3, 2013.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 7.0 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 8 ...

Consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5-3/4 percent during the first quarter. Revolving credit was little changed, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 8 percent. In March, consumer credit increased at an annual rate of ...

There were 3.8 million job openings on the last business day of March, little changed from 3.9 million in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.2 percent) and separations rate (3.1 percent) were little changed in March. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, ...

U.S. chain-store sales rose 2.4 percent year on year for the week that ended on May 4, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs. However, retail sales slipped 1 percent week-to-week as winter weather impacted the upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain states and gasoline prices rose nationwide, according ...