* Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for June were down 0.5% from May, but were up 3.8% from June 2011.
* Total manufacturing and trade sales were down 0.1% in May, while inventories were up 0.3%.
* Total Industrial production increased 0.4% in June. The rate of capacity utilization for total industry was 78.9%.
* Housing starts increased 6.9% in June, while building permits decreased 3.7%.
* June existing home sales decreased 5.4% to an annualized rate of 4,370 thousand units. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $189.4 thousand, 7.9% above June 2011.
* The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo rose to 35 in July, from 29 in June.
* Fixed mortgage rates continued to find new all-time record lows, according to Freddie Macís weekly primary mortgage market surveys. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.53% for the week ending July 19, down from the previous week when it averaged 3.56%.
* Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $50.1 billion in May.
* The consumer price index (headline index) held steady in June, while the core index increased 0.2%. The consumer price index increased 1.7% for the 12-month period ending in June, while the core index rose 2.2%.
* The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 34 thousand to 386 thousand in the week ending July 14.
* July Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that manufacturing activity in New York State expanded modestly over the month.
* The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for July indicated weaker business conditions.
* The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators decreased 0.3% in June, while the coincident index increased 0.2%.