The GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.5 percent during the first quarter of 2013. Home values increased 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the fourth quarter of 2012. And for the week ending April 20, initial unemployment claims were 339,000, an unexpected decrease of 16,000 from the previous week.

The wealthiest 7 percent of American households experienced a 28 percent increase in their wealth during the post-panic years of 2009 to 2011. The Architecture Billings Index came in at 51.9 in March, a slip from February’s reading of 54.9, but still in positive territory. And durable-goods orders dropped 5.7 percent, mostly on the weakness of orders for airplanes.

New home sales advanced in March to an annualized rate of 417,000 units, up 1.5 percent month over month. Mortgage delinquency rate decreased to 6.59 percent from 6.8 percent in February. And the stock market fell suddenly on a report that an explosion at the White House had injured President Obama, but the report proved to be false, the result of someone hacking into the AP Twitter page.

Total existing home sales dropped 0.6 percent to an annualized rate of 4.92 million units in March. And the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to –0.23 in March from +0.76 in February.

In March, 26 states and D.C. enjoyed unemployment rate decreases. The trend in distressed California home sales has been moving in a more positive direction. And there was a rash of bank failures on Friday.