Key Economic Indicators – April 22, 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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