Initial jobless claims drop 25,000 to 234,000

  • April 6, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week sank by 25,000 to 234,000, marking the second-lowest level of the current economic expansion and reflecting a tight labor market in which firms say it’s hard to find good help. The bulk of the decline took place in the large states of California, New

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Atlanta Fed tracker forecasts paltry 0.2% growth for the first quarter

  • April 27, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The Atlanta Fed’s tracker for first-quarter growth forecasts a mere 0.2% increase after the latest round of economic data. The 0.2% growth would be the worst showing in three years. The Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow tracker was previously pointing to 0.5% growth. The Commerce Department releases its first estimate of first-quarter GDP on Friday

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U.S. economy posts slowest growth in three years, first-quarter GDP shows

  • April 28, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The government’s official scorecard for the U.S. economy pointed to the weakest growth in the first quarter in three years, but the slowdown appeared tied to temporary effects that are likely to give way a rebound in the coming months. Gross domestic product increased at a meager 0.7% annual pace in the first three months

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Consumer confidence hits 97 in April, versus 98 estimate

  • April 28, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Last month The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index had a final reading of 96.9 for March, with consumers’ attitudes remaining “quite favorable,” data showed. However, the final reading came in below economists’ expectations, disappointing those who had been monitoring the numbers closely.

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Fed, jobs data and earnings will keep stock-market investors busy

  • April 29, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Investors face a fire hose of possible stock-market catalysts during another heavy week of earnings reports as the Federal Reserve holds its May policy meeting and a wealth of economic data is released, topped off by the April jobs report on Friday.

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Treasury yields rise as U. S.inflaiton exceeds Fed target

  • April 28, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Treasury yields rose Friday as investors looked past a weak first-quarter U.S. growth to focus on a rise in the Federal Reserve’s favorite inflation measure, heightening expectations of a June rate increase.

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US Economy Adds Far Fewer Jobs In March Than Expected

  • April 7, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The U.S. created just 98,000 new jobs in March to mark the smallest gain in almost a year, as hiring cooled off after a strong start in 2017. Economists polled by MarketWatch had predicted a 185,000 increase in nonfarm jobs. Yet the unemployment rate fell to 4.5% from 4.7% – the lowest level in almost

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U.S. inflation retreats in March from 5-year peak

  • May 1, 2017
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  • realestatelife

The rate of U.S. inflation slowed in March one month after hitting a five-year peak, reflecting lower prices for gasoline and other consumer goods such as new autos. The halt last month to the recent rise in inflation could ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, though the central bank appears on

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U.S. wholesale inventories rise 0.4% in February

  • April 7, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Wholesale inventories in the U.S. rose 0.4% in February, rebounding from a decline at the start of 2017, the government said Friday. The inventory-to-sales ratio was unchanged at 1.28 months, but it was down from 1.36 a year earlier. The ratio reflects how long it would take a company to sell all the goods sitting

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Construction spending eases in March after a February blowout

  • May 1, 2017
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  • realestatelife

Spending on construction dipped in March following an unusually strong pace of spending in February. Construction outlays were down 0.2%, the Commerce Department said Monday.

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