• August 18, 2017
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The consumer sentiment index rose to 97.6 in August, in a survey of consumers by The University of Michigan. U.S. consumer sentiment was expected to reach 94, according economists surveyed by Reuters. The index, which measures the confidence in future economic prospects, hit 93.1 in July.

• August 17, 2017
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The factory activity survey from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve fell to 18.9 from 19.5, the regional bank said. Economists had expected a steeper decline, to 17.0. But the report’s details were stronger than the headline. The new orders gauge surged to 20.4 from 2.1, signalling stronger growth in the future, and the measure of shipments

• August 17, 2017
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The number of Americans who sought unemployment benefits in mid-August fell to the lowest level in six months, mirroring the strongest U.S. labor market in almost two decades. Initial jobless claims in the period running from Aug. 6 to Aug. 12 declined by 12,000 to 232,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the lowest level

• August 17, 2017
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The Federal Reserve engaged in an intense debate in July about the path of U.S. inflation after a spate of surprisingly low readings, raising questions about whether the central bank will raise interest rates again this year. The Fed’s policy-setting group appeared more unified on a plan to announce in September a long-awaited drawdown of

• August 16, 2017
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Builders broke ground on fewer homes in July, but new-home construction continues to grind slowly and steadily higher, supporting a gradually improving housing market. Housing starts ran at a 1.16 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That’s 4.8% below June’s pace, and 5.6% lower compared to a year ago.

• August 15, 2017
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Sentiment among homebuilders rebounded in August after tumbling to an 8-month low in the prior month, according to an industry report out Tuesday. The monthly confidence gauge from the National Association of Home Builders jumped four points to a reading of 68.

• August 15, 2017
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Sales at retailers nationwide jumped 0.6% last month, the government said Tuesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast a 0.4% increase. A mysterious decline in spending at the end of the second quarter, meanwhile, vanished after fresh government revisions based on newly incorporated sales data. Retail sales actually rose 0.3% in June instead of falling

• August 15, 2017
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The New York Fed’s Empire State manufacturing index surged 15 points to 25.2, its highest in nearly three years. Economists had forecast an unchanged reading, to 9.8, on a scale in which any reading over zero indicates improvement in business conditions. The index’s sub-gauges were also strong. The shipments gauge rose 1.9 points to 12.4,

• August 11, 2017
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U.S. consumer prices remained soft for the fifth straight month in July, raising more questions about whether inflation will eventually rise to hit the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual rate target. The consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in July, the Labor Department said Friday. Food prices rose 0.2% in July while energy prices

• August 10, 2017
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Treasury yields lost further ground on Wednesday, as a weak reading for wholesale inflation clouded the third-quarter economic outlook and the picture for one more rate hike this year, which can be bearish on bonds.