- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.3% in the second quarter of 2012, after increasing 2.0% in the previous quarter. In the second estimate, released a month ago, the increase in real GDP was 1.7%. 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.
- Corporate profits from current production increased $21.8 billion in the second quarter, after a decrease of $53.0 billion in the previous quarter.
- Personal income 0.1% in August, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.5%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures, which held steady in July, rose 0.4% in August. The price index (headline index) was up 1.5% from August 2011.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods decreased 13.2% in August, while shipments decreased 3.0%
- August new home sales decreased 0.3% to an annualized rate of 373 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $256.9 thousand, 17.0% above the August 2011 figure.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from June to July, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in July, U.S. prices rose 3.7%.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 0.6% and 1.2% in July, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, decreased 2.6% to a reading of 99.2 in August, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- The 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreased to all-time record low of 3.40% for the week ending September 27.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 26 thousand to 359 thousand in the week ending September 22.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had declined in August, improved in September.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to 78.3 in September from 74.3 in August, the highest level since May.
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