For the week ending July 19 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer declined by 0.3 percent to 98.5, extending the weakening trend to two weeks. The decrease in this week’s barometer is mainly driven by production indexes, in which electric output plummeted by a sharp 10.2 percent as well as truck production (-4.3 percent). As to the ...

The Chicago Business Barometer dropped 10.0 points to 52.6 in July, significantly down from May’s seven month high of 65.5, led by a collapse in Production and the ordering components, all of which have been strong since last fall.

A monthly fall of this magnitude has not been seen since October 2008 and left the Barometer at its lowest level since June 2013. ...

In the week ending July 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 302,000, an increase of 23,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 5,000 from 284,000 to 279,000. The 4-week moving average was 297,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. This ...

Compensation costs for civilian workers increased 0.7 percent, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending June 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Wages and salaries (which make up about 70 percent of compensation costs) increased 0.6 percent, and benefits (which make up the remaining 30 percent of ...

The unexpectedly large layoffs announced by Microsoft helped push July job cuts to the second highest level of the year. In all, U.S.-based employers reported plans to reduce payrolls by 46,887 during the month, according to the report released Thursday by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, ...

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in June indicates that growth in economic activity rebounded in the second quarter. Labor market conditions improved, with the unemployment rate declining further. However, a range of labor market indicators suggests that there remains significant underutilization of labor ...

Online advertised vacancies showed a small drop of 15,500 to 5,044,600 in July, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series, released today. The June Supply/Demand rate stands at 1.9 unemployed for each advertised vacancy with a total of 4.4 million more unemployed workers than the number of advertised vacancies. ...

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 4.0 percent in the second quarter of 2014, according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 2.1 ...

Private sector employment increased by 218,000 jobs from June to July according to the July ADP National Employment Report®. Broadly distributed to the public each month, free of charge, the ADP National Employment Report is produced by ADP®, a leading global provider of Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions, in collaboration with ...

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 July 25, 2014.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 2.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 2 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 4 ...

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved in June, increased in July. The Index now stands at 90.9 (1985=100), up from 86.4 in June. The Present Situation Index increased to 88.3 from 86.3, while the Expectations Index rose to 92.7 from 86.4 ...

Data through May 2014, 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, show the Composite Indices increased at a slower pace. The 10-City Composite gained 9.4% year-over-year and the 20-City 9.3%, down significantly from the +10.9% and +10.8% returns reported last ...

The Paychex | IHS Small Business Jobs Index grew 0.34 percent in the 12 months leading up through July. The national index increased to 101.11, inching closer to its record high of 101.26 achieved in April 2014. Among the regions, the West North Central jumped to the top of the regional index with the highest monthly increase. Washington ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index increased 0.2% for the week ending July 26 - relative to its prior week. On a year-over-year basis, sales accelerated rapidly by 4.6% compared to the same week of the ...

Texas factory activity increased again in July, according to business executives responding to the Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey. The production index, a key measure of state manufacturing conditions, rose from 15.5 to 19.1, indicating output grew at a faster pace than ...

After three consecutive months of solid gains, pending home sales slowed modestly in June, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, declined 1.1 percent to 102.7 in June from 103.8 in May, and is 7.3 percent below June 2013 (110.8). Despite June’s decrease, the index is above 100 – considered an average level of ...

New orders for manufactured durable goods in June increased $1.8 billion or 0.7 percent to $239.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up four of the last five months, followed a 1.0 percent May decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.7 ...

Growth in Tenth District manufacturing activity edged higher in July, and producers’ optimism for future activity increased. Several firms continued to note difficulties with retaining certain types of workers, particularly machinists and welders. Price indexes were mixed, with most recording little change from the ...

Sales of new single-family houses in June 2014 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 406,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 8.1 percent (±12.3%) below the revised May rate of 442,000 and is 11.5 percent (±14.4%) below the June ...

For the week ending July 12 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer dropped by 0.6 percent following a solid 0.9 percent gain in the previous week. The decrease in this week’s barometer is explained by weak performances in both consumption and production indexes. MBA’s purchase index dipped by 7.6 percent in line with railroad freight ...

In the week ending July 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 284,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since February 18, 2006 when they were 283,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 302,000 to 303,000. The 4-week ...

Mortgage applications increased 2.4 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 18, 2014.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 2.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 3 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 4 ...

Existing-home sales increased in June and reached an annual pace of 5 million sales for the first time since October 2013, while rising inventory continues to push overall supply towards a more balanced market, 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, climbed 2.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million in June from an upwardly-revised 4.91 million in May. Sales are at the ...

Fifth District manufacturing activity grew moderately in July, according to the most recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.* The volume of new orders was flat compared to June, and shipments grew on pace with a month ago. Manufacturing employment picked up, while growth in the average workweek slowed slightly and wages rose ...

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.

In contrast to the broad-based increase last month, the June seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index was primarily driven by the gasoline index. It rose 3.3 percent and accounted for two-thirds of the all items increase. Other energy indexes were mixed, with the ...

Real average hourly earnings for all employees was unchanged from May to June, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from a 0.2 percent increase in the average hourly earnings being offset by a 0.3 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index decreased slightly by 0.4% for the week ending July 19 - relative to its prior week. On a year-over-year basis, sales increased by 2.8% compared to the same week of the ...

Led by slower growth in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) edged down to +0.12 in June from +0.16 in May. Two of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index made nonpositive contributions to the index in June, but two of the four categories increased ...

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3 percent in June to 102.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in May, and a 0.3 percent increase in April.

Broad-based increases in the LEI over the last six months signal an economy that is expanding in the near term and may even somewhat accelerate in the second half. Housing permits, the weakest indicator during this period, reflects some risk to this improving outlook. But ...

Firms responding to the Business Outlook Survey indicated continued expansion in the region’s manufacturing sector in July. The survey’s indicators for general activity, new orders, shipments, and employment were all positive this month and increased from their readings in June. The survey’s indicators of future activity also increased or ...

For the week ending July 5 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer advanced by a robust 0.9 percent from last week, reaching the highest level of 99.4 since the beginning of the Great Recession. This week’s barometer is driven by both consumption and production indexes. Chain store sales and MBA’s purchase index climbed by 1.6 and 3.7 ...

BUILDING PERMITS
Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 963,000. This is 4.2 percent (±1.5%) below the revised May rate of 1,005,000, but is 2.7 percent (±1.8%) above the June 2013 estimate of 938,000. Single-family authorizations in June were at a rate of 631,000; this ...

In the week ending July 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 302,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 304,000 to 305,000. The 4-week moving average was 309,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is ...

All twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicated that economic activity continued to expand since the previous report. The pace of economic growth was characterized as moderate in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, and San Francisco, while the remaining Districts reported modest expansion. Compared to the previous reporting period, Boston ...

Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes reached an important milestone in July, rising four points to a reading of 53 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Any reading over 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good ...

Industrial production increased 0.2 percent in June and advanced at an annual rate of 5.5 percent for the second quarter of 2014. In June, manufacturing output edged up 0.1 percent for its fifth consecutive monthly gain, while the production at mines moved up 0.8 percent and the output of utilities declined 0.3 percent. For the second quarter as ...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for May 2014. The sum total in May of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was a monthly net TIC inflow of $35.5 billion. Of this, net foreign private inflows were $13.1 billion, and ...

The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.4 percent in June, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This increase followed a 0.2-percent decline in May and a 0.6-percent advance in April. On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand moved up 1.9 percent for the 12 months ended ...

Mortgage applications decreased 3.6 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 11, 2014. The previous week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4th ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for May, adjusted for seasonal and trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,343.3 billion, up 0.4 percent (±0.2%) from April 2014 and were up 4.6 percent (±0.5%) from ...

U.S. import prices advanced 0.1 percent in June following a 0.3-percent rise in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Higher fuel prices drove the monthly increases for both June and May. Prices for U.S. exports decreased 0.4 percent in June, after ticking up 0.1 percent the ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for June, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $439.9 billion, an increase of 0.2 percent (±0.5) from the previous month, and 4.3 percent (±0.9) above June 2013. Total sales ...

The July 2014 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicates that business conditions improved significantly for a third consecutive month for New York manufacturers. The headline general business conditions index climbed six points to 25.6, its highest level in more than four years. The new orders index was little changed at 18.8, while ...

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index rose by 0.1% for the week ending July 12 - relative to its prior week - marking its fifth consecutive sequential weekly gain. On a year-over-year basis, sales momentum accelerated to a strong +4.5% compared to the same week of the ...

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that May 2014 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 $453.2 billion, up 0.7 percent (+/-0.5) from the revised April level and were up 6.6 percent (+/-1.4%) from ...

For the week ending June 28 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by 0.2 percent from last week, in spite of weakening trend in most production indexes. The increase in this week’s barometer is entirely driven by chain store sales, which soared by a solid 1.0 percent, showing another positive gain for third consecutive week. As to ...

In the week ending July 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 304,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 315,000. The 4-week moving average was 311,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's unrevised average ...

Mortgage applications increased 1.9 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 4, 2014. This week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4th holiday.

The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, increased 1.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 19 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 0.4 ...

In May, consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7-1/2 percent. Revolving credit increased at an annual rate of 2-1/2 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 9-1/4 percent.

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There were 4.6 million job openings on the last business day of May, little changed from 4.5 million in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.4 percent) and separations rate (3.2 percent) were essentially unchanged in May. Within separations, the quits rate (1.8 percent) was unchanged and the layoffs ...