Dees Stribling
Economy Watch: Consumer Confidence at 17-Year High
The Conference Board’s latest Consumer Confidence Index reached a new high of 129.5, indicating consumers are feeling optimistic about the U.S. economy.
Economy Watch: Construction Spending Up in Most States
An increase in construction activity adds to the income and potential growth of each state, noted Markstein Advisors’ Bernard Markstein, who prepared the latest Associated Builders and Contractors report.
Economy Watch: State Unemployment Rates Mostly Stable in October
Compared with the month before, jobless rates were lower in October in 12 states and higher in only one state, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs report.
Economy Watch: Meta-Ranking of Amazon HQ2 Race Puts Atlanta on Top
Sperling’s BestPlaces collected 18 lists and ranking of potential locations, determining that Atlanta’s ability to absorb an expected 50,000 workers and other factors make it the No.1 contender for the new Amazon headquarters.
Economy Watch: Retail Sales Inch Up in October
Following a strong month of sales in September, the retail sector got saw another 0.2 percent increase in sales in October, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Economy Watch: Retailers to Try New Strategies for Holiday Season
Mobile technology will play a more prominent role than in past years, as retailers seek new ways to generate sales and collect strategic data, according to a new CBRE report.
Economy Watch: Industrial Sector on Top in 2017
Industrial logistics space outperformed office, retail, apartment and light industrial space in terms of supply, demand, occupancy and other fundamentals in the first half of the year, according to a recent Morningstar report.
Economy Watch: Nonresidential Planning Ticks Up in October
The increase nearly reversed the erosion of the past four months, with October posting healthy gains in both commercial and institutional project planning, according to Dodge Data & Analytics.
Economy Watch: Employment Rebounds in October, Adds 261K Jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that the headline unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent—the lowest rate in 17 years.
Economy Watch: Interest Rates Stay Still
As widely expected, the Federal Open Market Committee maintained the target federal funds rate at 1 percent to 1.25 percent. The committee noted the likelihood of gradual rate increases down the line.