New home sales increased by 14% in September to 800,000, the highest since March, indicating that strong demand for new houses continued to drive the market. … READ MORE >
Covid-19
Chart of the day: Rising consumer confidence
The headline Consumer Confidence Index rose to 113.8, up from 109.8 in September, as consumers expressed a more buoyant view of the economy, according to Conference Board data released on Tuesday. … READ MORE >
GDP preview: Look for 2.9% growth in third quarter
Economic growth in the third quarter will capture the impact of the delta variant on the economy as disruptions to global supply chains and rising inflation have dampened American household consumption and fixed investment by businesses. … READ MORE >
Inflation in Canada persists amid shortages
Inflation is proving to be persistent in Canada, with the Consumer Price Index increasing at an annual pace of 4.4% in September amid shortages of workers and supplies. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. housing starts and permits slowed amid shortages
Housing starts and permits stayed below expectations in September, signaling a supply slowdown because of shortages of materials and labor. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: U.S. industrial production fell as Ida’s impact lingered
The impact of Hurricane Ida continued to be a drag on industrial production in September, accounting for a significant drop not only in mining but also in manufacturing output. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Consumer sentiment eases
The headline consumer sentiment index inched down to 71.4 in October from 72.8 in September because of an uptick in short-term inflation expectations and higher gas prices. … READ MORE >
Retail sales defied expectations, continuing to rise in September
Retail sales defied expectations in September, rising in back-to-back months and highlighting the resilience in consumer spending amid supply shortages and the surge of the delta variant. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Producer Price Index slowed for second month
A day after the Labor Department reported that inflation for consumers had remained stubbornly high in September, the department reported that prices paid by sellers decelerated for the second month in a row. … READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims hit a pandemic low
In another sign of the continuing tight labor market, new jobless claims hit a pandemic low at 290,000 for the week ending Oct. 9, following an upwardly revised reading of 329,000 in the previous week. … READ MORE >