Archive for February, 2014
Sunday, February 23rd, 2014
- December existing home sales decreased 5.1% to an annualized rate of 4,620 thousand units, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $188.9 thousand, 10.7% above January 2013.
- Housing starts decreased 16.0% to an annualized rate of 880 thousand in January.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of February 20th showed average fixed mortgage rates up slightly for the second week.
- Mortgage applications decreased 4.1% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 14th.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 3 thousand to 336 thousand in the week ending February 15.
- The producer price index for final demand rose 0.2% in January, following a 0.1% increase in the previous month. The price index rose 1.2% from January 2013.
- The consumer price index rose 0.1% in January, following a 0.3% increase in the previous month. The price index rose 1.6% from January 2013.
- The Empire State manufacturing index indicated slight improvement in manufacturing activity.
- The Philadelphia FED’s manufacturing index indicated a decline in manufacturing activity.
- The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.3% in January, while the coincident index increased 0.1%.
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Sunday, February 16th, 2014
- Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for January were down 0.4% from the previous month. Excluding autos, retail and food services sales held steady in January.
- Total manufacturing and trade sales for December were up 0.1%, while inventories were up 0.5%.
- Total Industrial production decreased 0.3% in January, following a 0.3% increase in the previous month. The rate of capacity utilization for total industry was 78.5%, compared with 78.9% in the previous month.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of February 13th showed average fixed mortgage rates largely unchanged.
- Mortgage applications decreased 2.0% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 7th.
- The federal government budget ran a deficit of $10.4 billion in January, after a surplus of $53.2 billion in the previous month.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 8 thousand to 339 thousand in the week ending February 8.
- The import price index held increased 0.1% in January, while the export price index increased 0.2%.The import price index decreased 1.5% from January 2013, while export prices decreased 1.2%.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, held steady at 81.2 in early February.
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Monday, February 10th, 2014
- Total non-farm payroll employment increased 113 thousand in January, following an increase of 75 thousand in the previous month. Private-sector payrolls increased by 142 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased by 29 thousand.
- The unemployment rate decreased to 6.6% in January, from 6.7% in the previous month.
- The average workweek of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls held steady at 34.4 hours. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.2%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 20 thousand to 331 thousand in the week ending February 1.
- Sales of domestic vehicles increased to an annualized rate of 12.1 million, while total vehicle sales decreased to 15.2 million.
- In December, international trade deficit was $38.7 billion, compared with a deficit of $34.6 billion in the previous month.
- December consumer credit surged to $18.8 billion.
- Construction spending rose 0.1% in December, following a 0.8% in the previous month. Total construction spending was up 5.3% from a year ago.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of February 6th showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower.
- Mortgage applications increased 0.4% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending January 31.
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Saturday, February 1st, 2014
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2013, after increasing 4.1% in the previous quarter.
- The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.2% in the fourth quarter, compared to an increase of 1.8% in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased less than 0.1%, in December, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4%.
- The price index for personal consumption expenditures increased 0.2% in December, while the core index, , increased 0.1%. The price index (headline index) was up 1.1% from December 2012, while the core index was up 1.2%
- New orders for manufactured durable goods decreased 4.3% in December, while shipments decreased 1.9% in December.
- December new home sales decreased 7.0% to an annualized rate of 414 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $270.2 thousand, 4.6% above December 2012.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, decreased 8.7% in December, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Indices posted annual increases of 13.8% and 13.7% in the 12 months ending in November, for 10-city and 20-city composites, respectively.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of January 30th showed average fixed mortgage rates decreasing for the third consecutive week.
- Mortgage applications decreased 0.2% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending January 24th.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 19 thousand to 348 thousand in the week ending January 25.
- The Employment Cost Index for total compensation rose 0.5%, seasonally adjusted, for the 3-month period ending December 2013.
- Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in December.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had rebounded in December, increased again in January.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment slipped in January.
- The Federal Open Market Committee decided to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25% and to make a further measured reduction in the pace of its asset purchases.
- The Federal Open Market Committee unanimously selected Janet L. Yellen to serve as its Chair, effective February 1, 2014.
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