Archive for January, 2013

Key Economic Indicators – January 28, 2013

Monday, January 28th, 2013
  • December existing home sales decreased 1.0% to an annualized rate of 4,940 thousand units. The December figure was 12.8% above the December 2011 figure. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $180.8 thousand, 11.5% above December 2011.
  • December new home sales decreased 7.3% to an annualized rate of 369 thousand units, following a 9.3% increase in the previous month. The December figure was 8.8% above the December 2011 figure.  The median sales price of new houses sold was $248.9 thousand, 13.9% above December 2011.
  • U.S. House prices rose 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis from October to November, after holding steady in the previous period, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in November, U.S. prices rose 5.6%.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates moving higher from the previous week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.42% for the week ending January 24, up from last week when it averaged 3.38%.
  •  Mortgage applications increased 7.0% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending January 18.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 5 thousand to 330 thousand in the week ending January 19.
  • The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.5% in December, while the coincident index increased 0.2%.

Key Economic Indicators – January 21, 2013

Monday, January 21st, 2013
  • Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for December were up 0.5% from November, and were up 4.7% from December 2011.
  • Total manufacturing and trade sales for November were up 1.0% from October, while inventories were up 0.3%.
  • Total Industrial production increased 0.3% in December, following a 1.0% increase in the previous month.
  • The federal government budget ran a deficit of $0.3 billion in December, after a deficit of $172.1 billion in the previous month.
  • Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $61.5 billion in November, compared with net purchases of $25.4 billion in the previous month.
  • Housing starts increased 12.1% in December, following a 4.3% decrease in the previous month.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates largely unchanged from the previous week.
  • Mortgage applications increased 15.2% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey.
  • The producer price index for finished goods (headline index) decreased 0.2% in December, while the core index increased 0.1%. The producer price index for finished goods increased 1.3% from December 2011 to December 2012.
  • The consumer price index (headline index) held steady in December, while the core index, increased 0.1%. The consumer price index increased 1.7% for the 12-month period ending in December. The core index rose 1.9% during the same period.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased by 37 thousand to 335 thousand in the week ending January 12.
  • Real average hourly earnings for all employees increased 0.3% from November to December.
  • The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, was 71.3 in early January, 1.6 points below the full month reading for December.
  • The January 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 January reported that manufacturing activity declined modestly, following reported increases in business activity in late 2012.
  • The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity expanded since the last report, with all twelve Districts characterizing the pace of growth as either modest or moderate.

Key Economic Indicators – January 14, 2013

Monday, January 14th, 2013
  • Sales of domestic cars decreased 0.7% in December, while total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales decreased 1.0%. Total light vehicle sales in the year 2012 were 14.432 million units, compared with 12.733 million in 2011.
  • Sales of merchant wholesalers in November were up 2.3%, while inventories were up 0.6%.
  • In November international trade deficit was $48.7 billion, $6.6 billion more than the revised October figure.
  • The import price index in December was down 0.1% from November, and was down 1.5% from December of 2011. The export price index was down 0.1% from November, but was up 1.1% from December of 2011.
  • November consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 7.0% to $2,768.5 billion.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates moving higher following December’s employment report. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.40% for the week ending January 10, 3013, up from last week when it averaged 3.34%.
  • Mortgage applications increased 11.7% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending January 4, 2013.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 4 thousand to 371 thousand in the week ending January 5.

Key Economic Indicators – January 7, 2013

Monday, January 7th, 2013
  • Total non-farm payroll employment rose 155 thousand to 134.021 million in December, following an increase of 161 thousand in the previous month.   Private-sector payrolls increased by 168 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased by 13 thousand.
  • The unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8%.
  • The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees increased 0.1 to 33.8 hours, while average hourly earnings increased by 6 cents.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 10 thousand to 372 thousand in the week ending December 29.
  • New orders for manufactured goods increased less than 0.1% in November, while shipments increased 0.4%.
  • November construction spending decreased 0.3%, following a 0.7% increase in the previous month.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates remaining near all-time record lows. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 3.34% for the week ending January 3, 2013, down from last week when it averaged 3.35%.
  • Mortgage applications for the week ending December 28, 2012 decreased 21.6% from the week ending December 14, 2012 (two weeks prior), according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s Survey.
  • The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector expanded in December, following one month of contraction, and the overall economy grew for the 43rd consecutive month.
  • In December, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity (exceeded 50.0%) for the 36th consecutive month.