Archive for April, 2013
Monday, April 29th, 2013
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.5% in the first quarter of 2013, after increasing at 0.4% in the previous quarter. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.1% in the first quarter, compared to an increase of 1.6% in the previous quarter.
- Personal income and personal consumption expenditures both increased 0.2% in March. The price index for personal consumption expenditures decreased 0.1% in March, while the core index held steady. The price index (headline index) was up 1.0% from March 2012, while the core index was up 1.1%.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods decreased 5.7% in March, while shipments increased 0.4%.
- March existing home sales decreased 0.6% to an annualized rate of 4,920 thousand units. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $184.3 thousand, 11.8% above March 2012.
- March new home sales increased 1.5% to an annualized rate of 417 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $247.0 thousand, 3.0% above March 2012.
- The Pending Home Sales Index increased 1.5% to a reading of 105.7 in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. The index was 7.0% above March 2012 level.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis from January to February, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA). For the 12 months ending in February, U.S. prices rose 7.1%. The index is now 13.6% below its April 2007 peak and is roughly the same as the October 2004 level.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower for the fourth consecutive week and continuing to support the ongoing housing recovery.
- Mortgage applications increased 0.2% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending April 19th.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 16 thousand to 339 thousand in the week ending April 20.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment for April dropped to 76.4.
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Monday, April 22nd, 2013
- Total Industrial production increased 0.4% in March, after a 1.1% increase in the previous month.
- Housing starts increased 7.0% in March, following a 6.7% increase in the previous month.
- The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo decreased 2 points to 42 in April.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower for the third consecutive week.
- Mortgage applications increased 4.8% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending April 12th.
- The consumer price index (headline index) decreased 0.2% in March, while the core index increased 0.1%. The consumer price index increased 1.5% for the 12-month period ending in March, while the core index rose 1.9%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 4 thousand to 352 thousand in the week ending April 13.
- Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.2% from February to March.
- Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $7.6 billion in February, compared with net purchases of $48.3 billion in the previous month.
- The April Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that the conditions for New York manufacturers improved slightly.
- The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for April reported near steady business activity.
- The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity generally expanded at a moderate pace during the reporting period from late February to early April.
- The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators decreased 0.1% in March, following an increase of 0.5% in the previous month.
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Monday, April 15th, 2013
- Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for March were down 0.4% from February, but were up 2.8% from March 2012.
- Total manufacturing and trade sales for February were up 1.2% from January, while inventories were up 0.1%.
- Sales of merchant wholesalers in February were up 1.7% from January, while inventories were down 0.3%.
- The federal government budget ran a deficit of $106.5 billion in March. The cumulative budget deficit for the first six months of fiscal year 2013 was $600.5 billion, $178.5 billion less than the deficit for the same period of the previous fiscal year.
- The producer price index for finished goods decreased 0.6% in March, following an increase of 0.7% in the previous month. The producer price index for finished goods increased 1.1% from March 2012 to March 2013.
- The import price index decreased 0.5% in March, while export prices decreased 0.4%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 42 thousand to 346 thousand in the week ending April 6.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates edging down for the second consecutive week.
- Mortgage applications increased 4.5% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending April 5th.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, for April dropped to 72.3, from 78.6 in March.
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Monday, April 8th, 2013
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose 88 thousand in March, following an increase of 268 thousand in the previous month. Private-sector payrolls increased by 95 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased by 7 thousand.
- The unemployment rate decreased to 7.6% in March, from 7.7% in February.
- The average workweek of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased 0.1 to 34.6 hours. Average hourly earnings increased by a cent to $23.82. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings were up 1.8%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 28 thousand to 385 thousand in the week ending March 30.
- Sales of domestic cars decreased 2.9% in March, while total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales decreased 0.8%. Total light vehicle sales were 15.203 million units, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, compared to 14.088 million in March of 2012.
- New orders for manufactured goods increased 3.0% in February, while shipments increased 0.9%.
- In February, international trade deficit was $43.0 billion, $1.5 billion less than the revised January figure.
- February construction spending increased 1.2%, following a 2.1% decrease in the previous month.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates decreasing for the week ending April 4th.
- Mortgage applications decreased 4.0% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending March 29th.
- The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated expansion in March for the fourth consecutive month.
- In March, the Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth for the 39th consecutive month.
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Monday, April 1st, 2013
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012, after increasing at 3.1% in the previous quarter. In the “second” estimate, released a month ago, real GDP increased 0.1%.
- Corporate profits from current production increased $45.4 billion in the fourth quarter, after an increase of $45.7 billion in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased 1.1%, in February, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.7%. Personal savings as percent of personal disposable income were 2.6% in February, compared with 2.2% in the previous month.
- The price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4% in February, while the core index increased 0.1%. The price index (headline index) and the core index were both up 1.3% from February 2012.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 5.7% in February, while shipments increased 1.0%.
- February new home sales decreased 4.6% to an annualized rate of 411 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $246.8 thousand, 2.9% above February 2012.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index increased 7.3% and 8.1% in the 12 months ending in January, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively. In the 12 months ended in January, prices rose in all 20 cities.
- The Pending Home Sales Index decreased 0.4% to a reading of 104.8 in February, according to the National Association of Realtors. The index was 8.4% above February 2012 level.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates moving slightly higher for the week, but still remaining near historic lows.
- Mortgage applications increased 7.7% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending March 22nd.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 16 thousand to 357 thousand in the week ending March 23.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had improved in February, declined in March.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose in March.
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