Archive for March, 2013

Key Economic Indicators – March 25, 2013

Monday, March 25th, 2013
  • Housing starts increased 0.8% in February, following a 7.3% decrease in the previous month. Building permits in February were 946 thousand units, up 4.6% from January, and were up 33.8% from February 2012.
  • February existing home sales increased 0.8% to an annualized rate of 4,980 thousand units. The median sales price of existing houses sold was $173.6 thousand, 11.6% above February 2012.
  • U.S. House prices rose 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis from December to January, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA). For the 12 months ending in January, U.S. prices rose 6.5%.
  • The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo decreased 2 points to 44 in March. The index was 28 in March of 2012.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates reversing course from the previous week and heading lower with the start of the spring home-buying season.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 7.1% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending March 15th.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 2 thousand to 336 thousand in the week ending March 16.
  • The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for March reported slight increases in manufacturing activity.
  • The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.5% in February, while the coincident index increased 0.2%.

Key Economic Indicators – March 18, 2013

Monday, March 18th, 2013
  • Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for February were up 1.1% from January, and were up 4.6% from February 2012.
  • Total manufacturing and trade sales for January were down 0.3%, while inventories were up 1.0%.
  • Total Industrial production increased 0.7% in February, after increasing less than 0.1% in the previous month.
  • The federal government budget ran a deficit of $203.5 billion in February, after a surplus of $2.9 billion in the previous month.
  • The current account deficit decreased to $110.4 billion in the fourth quarter, from $112.4 billion in the previous quarter.
  • Treasury International Capital reported net foreign purchases of long-term securities of $48.2 billion in January, compared with net purchases of $76.5 billion in the previous month.
  • The consumer price index (headline index), which held steady in January, increased 0.7% in February, while the core index increased 0.2%. The headline index and the core index both rose 2.0% for the 12-month period ending in February.
  • The producer price index for finished goods (headline index) increased 0.7% in February, while the core index increased 0.2%. The producer price index for finished goods increased 1.7% from February 2012 to February 2013.
  • The import price index increased 1.1% in February, while the export price index increased 0.8%.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 10 thousand to 322 thousand in the week ending March 9.
  • Real average hourly earnings for all employees decreased 0.6% from January to February.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates rising this week.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 4.7% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending March 8st.
  • The March Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that the conditions for New York manufacturers continued to improve modestly.
  • The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, for March dropped to 71.8, the lowest level since December 2011.

Key Economic Indicators – March 11, 2013

Monday, March 11th, 2013
  • Total non-farm payroll employment rose 236 thousand to 135.046 million in February, following an increase of 119 thousand in the previous month. Private-sector payrolls increased by 246 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased by 10 thousand.
  • The unemployment rate decreased to 7.7% in February, from 7.9% in January.
  • The average workweek of production and non-supervisory employees increased 0.2 to 33.8 hours, while average hourly earnings increased by 5 cents to $20.04.  Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings were up 2.0%.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 7 thousand to 340 thousand in the week ending March 7.
  • Fourth quarter productivity decreased 1.9% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the non-farm business sector, following a 3.1% increase in the previous period. Hourly compensation increased 2.6%, while unit labor costs increased 4.6%.
  • Sales of domestic cars decreased 2.3% in February, while total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales increased 0.7%. Total light vehicle sales were 15.323 million units in February, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, compared to 14.429 million in February of 2012.
  • New orders for manufactured goods decreased 2.0% in January, while shipments decreased 0.2%.
  • Sales of merchant wholesalers in January were down 0.8%, while inventories were up 1.2%.
  • In January international trade deficit was $44.4 billion, $6.3 billion more than the revised December figure.
  • January consumer credit outstanding increased at an annual rate of 7.0% to $2,795.3 billion. Revolving credits increased at an annual rate of 0.1%, while non-revolving credits increased 10.0%.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates largely holding steady from the previous week, remaining near their 65-year lows.
  • Mortgage applications increased 14.8% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending March 1st.
  • In February, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity (exceeded 50.0%) for the 38th consecutive month.
  • The FED’s “Beige Book” indicated that overall economic activity generally expanded at a modest to moderate pace in January and early February.

Key Economic Indicators – March 4, 2013

Monday, March 4th, 2013
  • Real GDP increased at an annual rate of 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012, after increasing at 3.1% in the previous quarter. In the “advance” estimate, released a month ago, real GDP declined 0.1%. The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 1.5% in the final quarter, compared to an increase of 1.4% in the previous quarter.
  • Personal income decreased 3.6%, in January, while personal consumption expenditures increased 0.2%. The price index for personal consumption expenditures held steady in January for the second consecutive month.
  • New orders for manufactured durable goods decreased 5.2% in January while shipments decreased 1.2%.
  • January construction spending decreased 2.1%, following a 1.1% increase in the previous month. Private construction decreased 2.6%, while public construction decreased 1.0%.
  • January new home sales increased 15.6% to an annualized rate of 437 thousand units. The median sales price of new houses sold was $226.4 thousand, 2.1% above January 2012.
  • U.S. House prices rose 0.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis from November to December, after a 0.4% increase in the previous period, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) monthly House Price Index. For the 12 months ending in December, U.S. prices rose 5.8%.
  • The S & P/Case-Shiller National U.S. Home Price Index posted annual increases of 6.0% and 6.9% in December, for the 10-city and 20-city composite indices, respectively.
  • The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading indicator for the housing sector, increased 4.5% to a reading of 105.9 in January, according to the National Association of Realtors.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed average fixed mortgage rates moving lower after being largely unchanged over the past month.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 3.8% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 22nd.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 22 thousand to 344 thousand in the week ending February 23.
  • The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector expanded in February for the third consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 45th consecutive month.
  • The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index, which had declined in January, rebounded in February.
  • The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to 77.6 in February, from 73.8 in January.