Key Economic Indicators – September 19, 2016

  • Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for August were down 0.3%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Excluding motor vehicle & parts, retail sales were down 0.1%.
  • Total manufacturing and trade sales for July were up 0.2%, while inventories were virtually unchanged, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The total business inventories/sales ratio was 1.39.
  • Total Industrial production decreased 0.4% in August, following a 0.6% increase in the previous month. The rate of capacity utilization decreased 0.4 percentage point to 75.5%.
  • The consumer price index, which held steady in July, increased 0.2% in August. The core index increased 0.3%, after an increase of 0.1% in the previous month. The consumer price index increased 1.1% for the 12-month period ending in August, while the core index rose 2.3%.
  • The producer price index for total final demand was unchanged in August, while the index for final demand goods less foods and energy increased 0.1%. The producer price index for final demand was unchanged from August 2015, while the core index increased 1.0%.
  • The import price index decreased 0.2% in August, while the export price index decreased 0.8%. The import price index decreased 2.2% from August 2015 to August 2016, while the price index for exports decreased 2.4%.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance was 260 thousand in the week ending September 10, an increase of a thousand from the previous week’s level. The 4-week moving average was 260.75 thousand, a decrease of 0.5 thousand from the previous week’s average.
  • Mortgage applications increased 4.2% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending September 9th.
  • The September 2016 Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that business activity contracted for New York manufacturers.
  • The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey indicated that regional manufacturing activity showed strength in September.

 

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