Key Economic Indicators – September 2, 2013

  • Real GDP  increased at an annual rate of 2.5% in the second quarter of 2013,  according to the “second” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, after increasing at 1.1% in the previous quarter. In the advance estimate, released a month ago, the increase in real GDP was 1.7%.
  • The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 0.3% in the second quarter, compared to an increase of 1.2% in the previous quarter.
  • Corporate profits from current production increased $78.3 billion in the first quarter, after a decrease of $26.6 billion in the previous quarter.
  • Personal income increased 0.1% in July. Disposable personal income increased 0.2%, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.1%.
  • The price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 0.1% in July. The price index (headline index) was up 1.4% from July 2012, while the core index was up 1.2%.
  • New orders for manufactured durable goods decreased 7.3% in July, while shipments decreased 0.3%.
  • The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 11.9% and 12.1% in the 12 months ending in June, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
  • The Pending Home Sales Index decreased 1.3% in July, according to the National Association of Realtors.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of August 29th showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower from the previous week.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 2.5% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending August 23rd.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for  unemployment insurance decreased 6 thousand to 331 thousand in the week ending August 24th.
  • The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had declined in July, increased slightly in August.
  • The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment retreated in August.

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