General Business Conditions Index Largest Monthly Decline on Record The headline general business conditions index largest monthly decline on record plummeted twenty-six points in June, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Empire State Manufacturing Survey for June 2019 and business activity took a sharp downturn, according to firms responding to the survey. [...]
Industrial Production Rebounded in May Industrial production rebounded 0.4 percent in May, its first increase this year. Challenges remain for the manufacturing sector which will likely keep the trend in industrial production weak. Wells Fargo US Drill Rigs Running Dropped Last Week The number of drill rigs operating in the USA dropped by 9 last [...]
New Orders Increased for First Time in 3 Months New Orders increased for the first time in three months, but the increase was not large enough to offset last month's fall. Production picked up to match its three-month average but was significantly below its twelve-month average. The rise in business confidence was led by Production and [...]
Consumer Confidence Index Improved The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index improved in May, following an increase in April. Consumer confidence posted another gain in May and is now back to levels seen last fall when the index was hovering near 18-year highs." Said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at the Conference Board. US [...]
LEI Increased 3 Consecutive Months The LEI increased 3 consecutive months, according to the Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the US, which showed an increase of 0.2 percent in April following a 0.3 percent increase in March and a 0.2 percent increase in February. The US LEI rose in April, the third consecutive [...]
US-Imposed Tariffs Ended on Steel and Aluminum Imported from Canada and Mexico US-imposed tariffs ended on steel and aluminum imported from Canada and Mexico. Just in from the Wall Street Journal 2:48pm 5/17/19: The Trump Administration has reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to end US-imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, removing a major barrier [...]
Small Business Optimism Rebounded to All-Time Highs Small business optimism rebounded to new all-time highs this spring after tumbling 11 points earlier this year. The Fed's pivot away from further rate increases earlier this year appears to have alleviated many of the fears business owners expressed during the Q1 survey. Wells Fargo US Drill Rigs Running [...]
Expectations Index Increased in March Based on consumers' short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions, the Expectations Index increased to 103.0 from 98.3 in March. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index improved in April after decreasing in March. Consumer Confidence partially rebounded in April but remains below levels seen last fall. US Added [...]
Real GDP Increased 3.2% Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). In the fourth quarter of 2018, real GDP increased 2.2 percent. Durable goods orders rose 2.7% in March. Core capital goods orders suggest the [...]
Business Activity Grew Modestly in NY State in April Business activity grew modestly in New York State in the month of April, reports The Federal Reserve Bank of New York Empire State Manufacturing Survey. The headline general business conditions index rose 6 points, indicating growth picked up somewhat but remained fairly subdued. New orders rose [...]
