Archive for February, 2015

Key Economic Indicators – February 23, 2015

Friday, February 20th, 2015
  • Total Industrial production increased 0.2% in January, following a 0.3% decrease in the previous month. The index, which stands at 106.2 (2007=100), was up 4.8% from January 2014. The rate of capacity utilization for total industry was 79.4%, a level 0.7 percentage point below its 1972-2014 average, but 1.3 percentage points above its level in January 2014.
  • Housing starts in January were down 2.0% from December, but were up 18.7% from January 2014. Building permits in January were down 0.7% from December, but were up 8.1% from January 2014.
  • The housing market index of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Wells Fargo decreased 2 points to 55 in February. The index was 58 in December, and 46 in February of 2014.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending February 19th showed average fixed mortgage rates moving higher, but still remaining near May 23, 2013 lows. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.76%, up from last week when it averaged 3.69%.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 13.2% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 13.
  • The producer price index for final demand (headline index) decreased 0.8% in January, while the core index decreased 0.2%. The producer price index for final demand was unchanged from January 2014 to January 2015.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance decreased 21 thousand to 283 thousand in the week ending February 14. The 4-week moving average was 283.25 thousand, a decrease of 6.5 thousand from the previous week’s average of 289.75 thousand.
  • The February Empire State Manufacturing Survey indicated that business activity continued to expand at a modest pace for New York manufacturers.
  • The Philadelphia FED business outlook survey for February reported modest growth in manufacturing activity.
  • The Conference Board index of leading economic indicators increased 0.2% January, following a 0.4% increase in the previous month. The coincident index increased 0.2%, the same increase as in the previous month.

Key Economic Indicators – February 16, 2015

Sunday, February 15th, 2015
  • Advance estimates of retail and food services sales for January were down 0.8% from December, but were up 3.3% from January 2014.
  • Total manufacturing and trade sales decreased 0.9% in December, while inventories increased 0.1%. Both manufacturers’ sales and retailers’ sales were down 1.1%, while merchant wholesalers’ sales were down 0.4%.
  • The federal government budget ran a deficit of $17.5 billion in January, after a surplus of $1.9 billion in the previous month.
  • The import price index decreased 2.8% in January, while export prices decreased 2.0%. The fuel import price index decreased 16.9%, while the non-fuel import price index decreased 0.7%. The overall import price index decreased 8.0% from January 2014. Agricultural export prices decreased 1.2%, while non-agricultural export prices decreased 2.1%. The price index for overall exports decreased 5.4% from January 2014.
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 25 thousand to 304 thousand in the week ending February 7. The 4-week moving average decreased 3.25 thousand to 289.75 thousand.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey showed fixed mortgage rates moving higher from the previous week, but remaining near their May 23, 2013 lows.
  • Mortgage applications decreased 9.0% from a week earlier week, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 6.
  • The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment, preliminary, slipped to 93.6 in early February from 98.1 in January.

Key Economic Indicators – February 9, 2015

Friday, February 6th, 2015
  • Total non-farm payroll employment rose 257 thousand to 140.849 million in January, following an increase of 329 thousand in the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private-sector payrolls increased by 267 thousand in the month, while government employment decreased by 10 thousand.
  • The unemployment rate was little changed at 5.7%. The number of unemployed persons, at 9.0 million, was up slightly in January, and the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was essentially unchanged at 2.8 million.
  • The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.6 hours in January, while the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees edged down by 0.1 hour to 33.8 hours.
  • In January, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 12 cents to $24.75, following a decrease of 5 cents in December. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.2%
  • The advance figure for initial claims for unemployment insurance increased 11 thousand to 278 thousand in the week ending January 31. The 4-week moving average was 292.75 thousand, a decrease of 6.5 thousand from the previous week’s revised average.
  • Fourth quarter productivity decreased 1.8% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the non-farm business sector, following a 3.7% increase in the previous period. Unit labor costs increased 2.7% in the fourth quarter, following a 2.3% decrease in the previous quarter. From the fourth quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2014, productivity was unchanged as output and hours worked both increased 3.1%.
  • Unemployment rates were lower in December than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 25 areas, and unchanged in 6 areas, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Personal income increased 0.3%, in December, while personal consumption expenditures decreased 0.3%.
  • The price index for personal consumption expenditures decreased 0.2% in December, while the core index held steady. The price index (headline index) was up 0.7% from December 2013, while the core index was up 1.3%
  • Sales of domestic cars decreased 6.9% in January, following a 2.7% decrease in the previous month. Total light vehicle (cars and light trucks) sales decreased 1.4% in January, after a 1.7% decrease in the previous month. Sales were 16.6 million units in January, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, compared to 15.2 million in January of 2014.
  • New orders for manufactured goods decreased 3.4% in December, while shipments decreased 1.1%. In the year 2014, new orders were up 2.8% from the previous year, while shipments were up 2.3%.
  • December construction spending was up 0.4% from November, and was up 2.2% from December 2013.
  • The results of Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey of February 5th showed average fixed mortgage rates decreasing, following a slight increase in the previous week. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage average 3.59% for the week ending February 5th, down from last week when it averaged 3.66%.
  • Mortgage applications increased 1.3% from a week earlier, according to data from Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Applications Survey for the week ending February 4th.
  • In December international trade deficit was $46.6 billion, up $6.8 billion from November. For 2014, the goods and services deficit was $505.0 billion, up $28.7 billion or 6.0% from 2013. As a percentage of GDP, the deficit was 2.9% in 2014, compared with 2.8% in 2013.
  • December consumer credit outstanding increased at an annualized rate of 5.4%. Revolving credits increased at an annualized rate of 7.9%, while non-revolving credits increased 4.5%. December consumer credit outstanding was up 6.9% from December of 2013.
  • The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing survey indicated that the manufacturing sector expanded in January for the 20th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 68th consecutive month.
  • In January, the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) non-manufacturing survey results indicated growth in the non-manufacturing business activity for the 60th consecutive month.