- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.5% in the second quarter of 2012, after increasing at 2.0% in the previous quarter. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 0.7% in the second quarter, compared to an increase of 2.5% in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased 0.5% in June, while personal consumption expenditures decreased less than 0.1%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 0.1% in June, following a 0.2% decrease in the previous month.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 1.6% in June, while shipments increased 0.1%.
- June new home sales decreased 8.4% to an annualized rate of 350 thousand units. The June figure was 15.1% above the June 2011 figure. The median sales price was $232.5 thousand, 3.3% below the June 2011 figure.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, decreased 1.4% to a reading of 99.3 in June.
- Fixed mortgage rates continued to find new all-time record lows, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly primary mortgage market surveys. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.49% for the week ending July 26, down from the previous week when it averaged 3.53%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 35 thousand to 353 thousand in the week ending July 21.
- The Employment Cost Index for total compensation rose 0.5%, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending June 2012, following a 0.4% increase for the 3–month period ending March 2012.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July.
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