• May 26, 2017
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Consumer sentiment ticked up fractionally in May as Americans grew more optimistic about economic growth – but more pessimistic about current conditions. The University of Michigan’s closely-watched confidence tracker rose to 97.1 from 97.0 in April. It had touched 97.7 in a mid-May reading, and economists surveyed expected no change from that reading for the

• May 25, 2017
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The number of Americans applying for and receiving unemployment benefits continue to drop to levels last seen nearly a half century ago, a sign the U.S. labor market remains quite robust eight years into an economic expansion. Initial jobless claims rose by 1,000 to 234,000 in the seven days stretching from May 14 to May

• May 25, 2017
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The advanced U.S. trade deficit in goods widened by 3.8% in April, while retail investors were down 0.3%.

• May 25, 2017
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Federal Reserve Board Governor Lael Brainard said Thursday there is now less risk to the U.S. economy due to a healthier global economy. “As I look out at the global economy today, it is brighter than it has been probably for the last few years,” Brainard said. The euro-area is growing more solidly, the Fed

• May 24, 2017
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Sales of previously-owned homes sputtered in April after a supercharged first quarter, as lean inventory continued to constrain demand. Existing-home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That was a 2.3% decline from March’s selling pace, which was revised down a tick but still

• May 24, 2017
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Federal Reserve officials were in broad agreement at their meeting on May 2-3 on a general approach to shrinking the bank’s massive balance sheet, according to minutes of the session released Wednesday. Nearly all Fed officials said they were content with a plan to end the reinvestment of principal of maturing securities – the main

• May 23, 2017
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Sales of newly-constructed homes stumbled in April, as builders retreated after a March surge that marked the strongest selling pace in a decade. New home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 569,000. That was well below the consensus forecast of a 610,000 annual pace, but was offset by sharp upward revisions to

• May 23, 2017
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A pair of surveys of American businesses in May shows the U.S. economy is still growing steadily, though manufacturers that provide many blue-collar jobs have cooled off in the past few months. IHS Markit said its manufacturing PMI slipped to 52.5 this month from 52.8, marking an eight-month low. Manufacturers saw a surge that began

• May 23, 2017
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Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari on Tuesday sounded in no hurry to raise short-term interest rates. Kashkari, who was the lone dovish dissenter against a March rate hike, told reporters recent soft inflation readings were “concerning” and said there still might be room to lower the unemployment rate without sparking price pressures

• May 20, 2017
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For the week the US 10 year treasury finished at 2.243%, declining 8.8 basis points this week, marking its largest weekly decline since the period ended April 13. Bond prices move inversely to yields; one basis point is one hundredth of a percentage point.