Dees Stribling
Economy Watch: E-Commerce Sales, Consumer Sentiment, Industrial Production
The Census Bureau reported on Friday that U.S. e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2014 were $75 billion, up 4.9 percent, while the University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment dropped 2.6 points from the beginning of the month and U.S. industrial production increased 0.4 percent in July.
Economy Watch: Euro Zone GDP Growth, U.S. Consumer Debt, Unemployment Claims
Though U.S. consumer debt dipped down in the second quarter, unemployment claims ticked up for the week ending Aug. 9. Eyes continue to rest on Europe, where GDP growth remains flat.
Economy Watch: Retail Sales, Gas Prices
In July, American consumers took a break from an increase in retail spending, and the Energy Information Agency released its latest Short Term Energy Outlook on Wednesday.
Economy Watch: Budget Deficit, Job Openings, Optimism Index
The U.S. Department of the Treasury said the country ran a $94 billion deficit in July 2014, while there were 4.67 million U.S. job openings on the last business day of June, and the Optimism Index rose 0.7 points.
Economy Watch: Spotlight on Housing Prices; Fed Official Sizes Up Recovery
Another metric shows that the growth in U.S. housing prices is slowing down.
Economy Watch: Mortgage Delinquencies, Seniors Housing Confidence, Initial Unemployment Claims
The delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one- to four-unit U.S. residential properties decreased and builder confidence in the single-family 55-and-up housing market rose at the end of the second quarter. Initial unemployment claims decreased last week.
Economy Watch: U.S. Births Slightly Higher in 2013 Than in ’12
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 2013 is the first time since 2007 that the number of American births increased, even by a little; and official trade deficit numbers continue to drop.
Economy Watch: Fed Says Lenders are Loosening Up; Foreclosures Drop
The Federal Reserve reports that domestic lenders are easing standards on construction, land development, and nonresidential commercial loans. Little has changed for prime residential loans, though a separate report by Black Knight shows a decrease in foreclosures.
Economy Watch: Jobs Market Posts Healthy Gain; Construction Spending Slips
The unemployment rate for July was 6.2 percent, up slightly from June but down from 7.3 percent one year ago. Likewise, construction spending declined 1.8 percent from May to June but was up 5.5 percent year over year.
Economy Watch: Economy Adds 209K Jobs in July, Serious Delinquencies Drop
The U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs in July, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, with job gains broad-based, while Fannie Mae reported that the serious delinquency rate declined slightly in June. However, Thursday was the losing-est day for the U.S. equities markets since February.