Archive for December, 2012
Monday, December 31st, 2012
- November new home sales increased 4.4% to an annualized rate of 377 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $246.2 thousand, 14.9% above the October 2011 figure.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, increased 1.7% to a reading of 106.4 in November, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 3.4% and 4.3% in October, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates remaining near record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.35% with an average 0.7 point for the week ending December 27, down from last week when it averaged 3.37%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 12 thousand to 350 thousand in the week ending December 22.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had declined slightly in November, posted another decrease in December.
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Monday, December 24th, 2012
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 3.1% in the third quarter of 2012, after increasing at 1.3% in the previous quarter. In the second estimate, released a month ago, the increase in real GDP was 2.7%.
- Corporate profits from current production increased $45.7 billion in the third quarter, after a decrease of $21.8 billion in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased 0.6%, in November, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.4%.
- The current account deficit decreased to $107.5 billion in the third quarter, from $118.1 billion in the previous quarter.
- Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $28.4 billion in October, compared with net purchases of $17.8 billion in the previous month.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 17 thousand to 361 thousand in the week ending December 15.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 0.7% in November, while shipments rose 1.5%.
- Housing starts decreased 3.0% in November, following a 5.3% increase in the previous month.
- November existing home sales increased 5.9% to an annualized rate of 5,040 thousand units. The median price of was $180.6 thousand, 10.1% above November 2011.
- The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo rose 2 points to 47 in December, its highest level since April 2006.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis from September to October, after holding steady in the previous period, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates remained near record lows.
- Mortgage applications decreased 12.3% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending December 14, 2012.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment decreased to 72.9 in December, the weakest since July, from 82.7 in November.
- The December Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that the conditions for New York manufacturers continued to decline at a modest pace.
- The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for December reported that manufacturing activity rebounded, following reported declines in business activity in late October and early November.
- The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators decreased 0.2% in November, while the coincident index increased 0.2%.
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Monday, December 17th, 2012
- Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for November were up 0.3% from October, and were up 3.7% from November 2011.
- Sales of merchant wholesalers in October were down 1.2%, while inventories were up 0.6%.
- Total manufacturing and trade sales decreased 0.4% in October, while inventories increased 0.4%.
- Total Industrial production increased 1.1% in November, following a 0.7% decrease in the previous month.
- The federal government budget ran a deficit of $172.1 billion in November, after a deficit of $120.0 billion in the previous month.
- In October international trade deficit was $42.2 billion, $1.9 billion more than the revised September figure.
- The import price index decreased 0.9% in November, while the export price index decreased 0.7%. The overall import price index decreased 1.6% from November 2011 while export prices increased 0.7%.
- The producer price index for finished goods (headline index) decreased 0.8% in November, while the core index increased 0.1%. The producer price index for finished goods increased 1.5% from November 2011 to November 2012.
- The consumer price index (headline index) decreased 0.3% in November, while the core index increased 0.1%. The consumer price index increased 1.8% for the 12-month period ending in November, while the core index rose 1.9%.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 29 thousand to 343 thousand in the week ending December 8.
- Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.5% from October to November.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates easing slightly and remaining near record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.32% for the week ending December 13, down from last week when it averaged 3.34%.
- Mortgage applications increased 6.2% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending December 7, 2012.
- The Federal Open Market Committee decided to keep its target for the federal funds rate at 0 to 0.25%, and indicated that this exceptionally low range for the federal funds rate will be appropriate at least as long as the unemployment rate remains above 6.5%.
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Monday, December 10th, 2012
- Total non-farm payroll employment rose 146 thousand to 133.852 million in November, following an increase of 138 thousand in the previous month.
- The unemployment rate decreased to 7.7%, from 7.9% in the previous month.
- The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees increased 0.1 to 33.7 hours. Average hourly earnings increased by 3 cents to $19.84.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 25 thousand to 370 thousand in the week ending December 1.
- Third quarter productivity increased 2.9% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the non-farm business sector, following a 1.9% increase as in the previous quarter.
- Sales of domestic cars increased 8.1% in November, while total light vehicle sales increased 8.7%. Total sales were 15.477 million units in November, compared to 13.510 million in November of 2011.
- New orders for manufactured goods increased 0.8% in October, while shipments increased 0.4%.
- October construction spending increased 1.4%. Private construction increased 1.6%, while public construction increased 0.8%.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates little changed and remaining near record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.34% for the week ending December 6, up from last week when it averaged 3.32%.
- 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 November 30, 2012.
- The housing Affordability Index rose 2.8 points to 198.5 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors.
- Domestic non-financial debt rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.4% in the third quarter of 2012, following an increase of 5.1% in the previous quarter. Growth of federal government debt held by the public was 6.2%.
- October consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 6.2%.
- Delinquency rates were generally lower in the third quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
- The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector contracted in November, following two months of modest expansion.
- In November, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity for the 35th consecutive month.
- The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, plunged to 74.5 in early December, the lowest level since August.
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Monday, December 3rd, 2012
- Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.7% in the third quarter of 2012, after increasing at 1.3% in the previous quarter. In the advance estimate, released a month ago, the increase in real GDP was 2.0%. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.4% in the third quarter, compared to an increase of 0.7% in the previous quarter.
- Corporate profits from current production increased $67.3 billion in the third quarter, after a decrease of $21.8 billion in the previous quarter.
- Personal income increased less than 0.1%, in October, while personal consumption expenditures decreased 0.2%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures rose 0.1% in October.
- New orders for manufactured durable goods increased less than 0.1% in October, while shipments decreased 0.6%.
- October new home sales decreased 0.3% to an annualized rate of 368 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $237.7 thousand, 5.7% above the October 2011 figure.
- U.S. House prices rose 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis from August to September, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in September, U.S. prices rose 4.4%.
- The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 2.1% and 3.0% in September, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
- The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, increased 5.2% to a reading of 104.8 in October.
- The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates virtually unchanged and remaining near all-time record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.32% with an average 0.8 point for the week ending November 29, up from last week when it averaged 3.31%.
- Mortgage applications decreased 0.9% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending November 23.
- The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 23 thousand to 393 thousand in the week ending November 24.
- The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had increased in October, posted a moderate increase in November.
- The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity expanded at a measured pace since the last report.
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