FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Daily Roundup of Key US Economic Data for July 28

By

The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell to 90.8 in July from a 92.2 reading in June due to a drop in the present situation while the expectations index was unchanged from the previous month.

The Conference Board noted deterioration in current assessment of both business conditions and employment conditions.

Advance data for June showed the international trade deficit narrowed to $101.46 billion from $105.89 billion in May, reflecting a larger drop in imports than in exports.

In the same report, wholesale inventories rose by 0.3% in June after a 0.3% gain in May, while retail inventories were flat after a 0.5% gain. Excluding motor vehicle sales, retail inventories would be up 0.4%.

The FHFA home price index posted a 0.3% gain in May after a 0.1% decrease in April. The index was 2.2% higher than a year ago.

Released at the same time, S&P Case-Shiller reported a 0.6% May home price gain, down from 0.8% in April. The index was up 1.1% year-over-year, up from the 0.9% rate in the previous month.

The Dallas Fed's services reading rose to 6.6 in July from 2.9 in June, while the Richmond services reading fell to minus 3 from 0.

The Richmond Fed's manufacturing index rose to 5 in July from 4 in June.

Redbook reported that US same-store retail sales were up 8.3% year-over-year in the week ended July 25, faster than a 7.8% gain in the prior week. Redbook noted that sales are following the typical pattern of less interest in shopping in mid-July, with a likely rebound over the next few weeks as back-to-school items support spending.

The Q2 GDP nowcast estimate from the Atlanta Fed is for a 1.5% gain, revised down from 1.6% in the previous estimate.

Related Articles

International

BRC: UK Shop Price Inflation Eases to 0.9% in July

The UK's shop price inflation softened to 0.9% year over year in July, from 1.2% a month ago, a survey by the British Retail Consortium showed Tuesday.The latest reading was below the consensus estimate and three-month average of 1.1%.BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson attributed the decline in inflation to promotions on food and alcohol during the FIFA World Cup, discounts on clothing and footwear, and other summer deals.

FTSE 100
International

Taiwan's Business Climate Index Signal Remains in Red in June

Taiwan's overall economic monitoring indicator flashed a red signal in June, with the total score coming in at 41 points, according to data released by the National Development Council (NDC) on Tuesday.The latest score increased by 2 points from the 39 points recorded in the previous month.The trend-adjusted leading index rose 0.57% in June to 104.17, marking its fourth consecutive month of growth.The trend-adjusted coincident index edged up 0.94% to 108.17, rising for the 10th straight month.The trend-adjusted lagging index grew 1.34% to 103.72, moving up for the seventh month in a row.

Taiwan Weighted
International

ANZ Forecasts Small Rise in New Zealand's Unemployment Rate in June Quarter

New Zealand's unemployment rate is expected to rise 0.2 percentage points to 5.5% in the June quarter after some firms paused hiring in the wake of heightened global uncertainty and oil price shock, according to a Tuesday note by ANZ Research.The employment rate is expected to be unchanged quarter over quarter, while the participation rate is forecast to fall by 0.1 percentage points to over 70%. The working‑age population is anticipated to increase by 0.3%.The ongoing weakness in the labor market should keep wage pressures contained, with annual wage growth measured by the LCI slowing 0.1 percentage points to 1.9% and the QES measure of private sector wages expected to slow 0.7 percentage points to 2.8% on an annual basis, ANZ said.This suggests that the labor market is unlikely to become a renewed source of accelerating consumer price index inflation pressures, with wage-price spiral risks mitigated.

^NZ50