Category: Business & Markets

• May 30, 2017
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Consumer confidence fell in May for the second month in a row, suggesting Americans have tempered their expectations for the economy after a huge burst of optimism earlier in the year. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index dropped to 117.9 in May from 119.4 in April. Just three months earlier, consumer confidence hit

• July 6, 2017
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Employers added a seasonally-adjusted 153,000 jobs during the month, payroll processor ADP said. That was below the 180,000 jobs that a consensus of economists had forecast.

• July 6, 2017
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U.S. Treasury yields rose on Thursday, joining a global selloff in government paper, as investors took a cautious stance amid fears that central banks were on the verge of halting easy-money policies.

• May 31, 2017
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A gauge of home purchase contract signings slumped for a second month in April, another sign the housing market is still struggling for a balance between supply and demand. The pending home sales index from the National Association of Realtors fell 1.3% to a level of 109.8 from a downwardly-revised March reading. The index was

• July 6, 2017
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The trade deficit fell 2.3% in May largely because of fewer imports of cell phones and other consumer goods, but the longer-run outlook for the U.S. was still grim. The deficit slipped to $46.5 billion in May from $47.6 billion in April, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Economists polled had forecast a $46.3 billion gap.

• May 31, 2017
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The Chicago business barometer, or Chicago PMI, fell to 55.8 in May from a 28-month high of 58.3 in April. Any reading over 50 indicates improving conditions

• June 1, 2017
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In a major sign of a US economic rebound, the private sector added 253,000 jobs in May, according to payroll processor ADP. The figure far exceeded expectations of 185,000.

• June 1, 2017
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The benchmark rate for home loans remained in free fall in the most recent week in the wake of lackluster economic data that hinted the central bank may be slower to raise interest rates than it expects. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.94%, down one basis point during the week and marking a fresh 2017

• July 6, 2017
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Initial jobless claims in the period running from June 25 to July 1 increased 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 248,000, the government said Thursday. Initial claims count people who apply for benefits after losing their jobs.

• June 1, 2017
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U.S. manufacturing continued to churn higher in May, according to a survey of purchasing managers released Thursday. The Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index edged up a tenth of a point to 54.9%. Economists polled expected a reading of 55%. Readings above 50% indicate expansion.