The New York Federal Reserve's Empire State manufacturing index rose to 20.6 in August from 15.6 in July, compared with an expected decrease to a reading of 10.0 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.
The Empire State index is the first manufacturing sector reading for August and suggests faster expansion.
There was an increase in the reading for prices paid while new orders, shipments, and employment readings all decreased in the month but remained above their breakeven point.
New Zealand first home buyers accounted for a record high market share of more than 28% of property purchases in the second quarter, according to a Monday report by Trade Me Property.The report attributed the surge to several factors, including KiwiSaver withdrawals helping buyers pull together deposits, banks deploying low-deposit lending allowances of up to 25% of owner-occupier loans at less than 20% equity, and Reserve Bank data showing 55% of first home buyer loans in June were approved with less than a 20% deposit.First home buyer momentum is not confined to major cities, with entry-level buyers finding opportunities across the country, the report added.Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson noted that sales volumes have eased somewhat in recent months and listing stock remains elevated, with values edging lower and sitting about 18% below their early 2022 peak, although remaining 16% above where they were before the pandemic.
The Thai economy expanded 1.9% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, slowing from 2.8% in the preceding quarter, according to data released by the National Economic and Social Development Council on Monday.The reading beat the consensus forecast of 1.7% tracked by Trading Economics.On a seasonally adjusted quarter-over-quarter basis, the economy contracted 0.2%, following a 0.6% expansion in the previous three-month period. The consensus forecast was for a 0.6% quarterly drop, according to Trading Economics.
Singapore's non-seasonally adjusted merchandise trade surplus shrank to SG$12.6 billion in July from SG$12.9 billion in June, according to data from Statistics Singapore on Monday.Total merchandise exports rose 40.6% year over year to SG$90.3 billion in July, softer than the 48.9% annual increase the previous month.Imports, meanwhile, jumped 36.3% to SG$77.7 billion, also decelerating from the 49.7% growth in June.